Melodifestivalen AI scare: Swedish TV suspects AI songs in Eurovision qualifier

A record number of entries poured into this year's Melodifestivalen and SVT believes some are crafted by AI, not humans.

Sweden’s biggest music spectacle is facing an artificial dilemma. Melodifestivalen 2027 has received a record 4,077 submissions – and broadcaster SVT suspects a significant portion were churned out by AI.

Project manager Anders Wistbacka confirmed the broadcaster’s fears to Aftonbladet : «We are convinced that we will receive quite a few AI songs». 

But despite the suspicion, no ban exists, yet.

Not An AI On Stage

Wistbacka was quick to reassure fans: «It is not a computer that will stand and sing on stage on Saturdays in Melodifestivalen». 

Live vocals remain mandatory, meaning any AI-assisted track must still feature a human performer. However, theoretically, one of the 30 qualifying songs could be fully AI-generated in its composition.

SVT has no technical tools to detect AI-generated entries, relying instead on pattern-spotting. «You can look at whether it is a person we do not know who is submitting a lot of songs in a lot of different genres», Wistbacka explained to aftonbladet.se.

That tells them something is suspicious.

Industry Defers To Broader Solution

Rather than crafting their own rules, SVT wants the music industry to lead: «We don’t want to be the first to come up with rules for what should apply, but this is an issue that the music industry will solve, needs to solve. And then we will respect and follow it». 

That stance puts Sweden in contrast with neighbouring Norway, where broadcaster NRK has already banned fully AI-created songs from Melodi Grand Prix. Despite the prohibition, Norway’s Head of Delegation Mads Tørklep estimates 30–50 AI-generated songs were still submitted eurovoix.com reports.

The Jacub Precedent

Sweden isn’t new to AI music scandals. In January 2026, the fictitious artist Jacub topped Spotify’s Swedish charts with «Jag vet, du är inte min, a partially AI-generated track resembling Albin Lee Meldau. The Danish label behind it claimed 19 million streams

Earlier, The Velvet Sundown gained one million Spotify streams before being exposed as AI-generated in summer 2025. And in late 2024, «Visa dina tuttar» went viral after being rearranged entirely by AI producer AI Music Dreams.

These incidents prompted IFPI Sweden to ban AI-mainly songs from official charts, though streaming platforms continue hosting them, according to bbc.com.

Eurovision’s Grey Area

Across the channel, Eurovision itself has no fixed AI rule. The EBU has stated songs must be created by humans, but individual broadcasters decide national selection policies aussievision.net reports.

Italy’s Sanremo Festival has taken a harder line, banning AI songwriting assistance entirely. Sweden’s approach remains deliberately flexible, waiting for industry consensus.

Suno And The Streaming Flood

AI music platform Suno has hit 2 million paid subscribers and generates roughly 7 million songs daily, creating as much content as Spotify’s entire catalog every two weeks, according to forbes.com.

Major labels including Warner Music, Sony, and Universal have pursued both lawsuits and partnerships with AI platforms, complicating the regulatory landscape says techcrunch.com.

What Happens Next?

Melodifestivalen begins in February 2027. If SVT’s suspicions prove correct, one or more qualifying songs could be AI-written. The broadcaster says it will monitor the situation but won’t impose unilateral bans before the industry sets standards.

Fans watching from home won’t see computers on stage, but they might be hearing verses written by AI.

In a continent where human creativity remains Eurovision’s heart, artificial intelligence may be testing how far that definition can stretch, with Sweden potentially leading Europe into uncharted territory.

Sources: Aftonbladet, Eurovoix, BBC, Forbes, TechCrunch