San Jose Sharks voice deepfake — Sep 2024

The San Jose Sharks have officially retired their goal song following fan backlash over the discovery that the track was generated by artificial intelligence. After a single season of use, the team announced the end of the song's tenure as part of a transition to new music for the upcoming season.

What happened

The track, titled "Power Bite," was produced by a DJ and producer named BVRNOUT. The song had been selected by fans who voted on options commissioned by the team in an effort to avoid royalty fees and licensing issues. However, the track faced immediate criticism from fans who labeled it generic and soulless, leading to accusations that it was created using A.I. technology.

Online investigators eventually substantiated these claims, discovering that BVRNOUT had seemingly utilized the A.I. platform SUNO to generate the song after inputting lyrics into the system. Despite facing significant pushback, the franchise initially declined to address the allegations regarding the song's origins. On September 23, 2024, the team finally confirmed the end of the "Power Bite" era in a video featuring defenseman Sam Dickinson, who signaled the change by shutting off a speaker playing the track. The organization has since announced that a new goal song will be unveiled on October 1st.