Lauren Knight – The Conversation

Belgian singer Paul Van Haver, also known as Stromae, arrives on the stage prior to receiving the best music video of the year award for his song “Formidable” during the 29th Victoires de la Musique annual ceremony, France’s top music awards, in 2014, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)

March 10, 2026

Could you tell if your favourite song was made with AI? The viral Papaoutai cover controversy suggests not

Cate Cleo Alexander, University of Toronto and Lauren Knight, University of Toronto

Ninety-seven per cent of us cannot tell the difference between AI-generated and human-authored music. When an AI cover recently went viral, it sparked questions about ethics and transparency.

Guillermo del Toro greets fans at the premiere of ‘Frankenstein’ at TIFF in Toronto, Sept. 8, 2025. A week earlier at the Venice Film Festival, the director said he isn’t afraid of AI when asked about the danger AI and technology pose to humanity. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Laura Proctor

September 9, 2025

Film festivals like TIFF set the tone for wider industry norms — here’s what we’re watching around AI

Lauren Knight, University of Toronto; Daphne Rena Idiz, University of Toronto, and Rafael Grohmann, University of Toronto

AI in the film industry is a hot-button issue that filmmakers, tech companies, distributors, creatives’ guilds and unions, policymakers and viewers are struggling to negotiate.

Contact Lauren for