Booking Agency Apologises After AI Artist Appears at Sydney Live Event - Rolling Stone Australia

The booking agency Good Intent and the venue Bootleggers have issued a public apology following the inclusion of an AI-generated act, Afro Charles, in a Sydney live music series. The incident sparked backlash from fellow musicians who criticized the lack of disclosure and the implications of using synthetic media in live performance spaces.

What happened

The booking for the weekly Mixed Bag series at Newtown’s Bootleggers included the artist Afro Charles alongside human musicians. Fellow performer Aidan Sammut exposed the situation on social media, noting that the artist’s Instagram account featured AI-generated visuals, music, lyrics, and vocals. Sammut emphasized that the artists on the lineup were never informed they would be performing alongside an AI act, describing the oversight as an insult to human creativity.

Good Intent’s Rob, who manages the booking process, took full responsibility for the error. He explained that the artist was booked through an agency that presented itself as professional and described Afro Charles as a producer who utilized live vocals. The agency failed to conduct a thorough review of the artist's social media content, which they later identified as "clearly and blatantly" AI-generated.

In response to the controversy, both Good Intent and Bootleggers publicly committed to never knowingly booking AI acts in the future. To demonstrate their support for genuine human artists, the organizations pledged to donate to the charity Support Act. They also announced plans to overhaul their vetting processes to prevent similar incidents. This event coincides with broader efforts within the Australian music industry to advocate for stronger copyright protections against the unauthorized use of musical works in AI training datasets.