Crowded House deny Neil Finn has erectile dysfunction in response to AI news report

Crowded House have publicly dismissed claims that their frontman, Neil Finn, struggles with erectile dysfunction.

The band came forward and made the unusual move to publicly dismiss the rumours, which began when an AI-generated fake news report got shared on Facebook, claiming that the 67-year-old artist had struggled with the issue in the past.

The footage in the faux report claimed that the musician had fathered a child recently, having overcome his struggle with erectile dysfunction and permanently resolved the issue. The AI-generated news broadcast was fronted by TVNZ journalist Simon Dallow.

Speaking to the fake Finn in an “interview” on the segment, the AI-generated version of the musician shared: “I never thought I’d be able to become a father again. Honestly, I believe that chapter of my life was closed, not because I didn’t want it, but because I simply couldn’t.”

“For years, I lived with a problem most men are too ashamed to talk about. My erections became weaker and weaker until they stopped altogether. No desire, no confidence, no control. I was too embarrassed to even talk to my wife about it,” it added.

Later, it went on to detail how steps had been taken to resolve the issue, and another AI-generated clip – this time featuring Māori doctor and former New Zealander of the Year Lance O’Sullivan – was shown, with the fake version of O’Sullivan offering “advice” on overcoming the problem.

Now, Crowded House have made the decision to publicly deny the claims put forward in the AI news report, and clarify that their singer does not face that issue.

“We’re not sure where this came from, but please don’t be fooled,” the band said on Facebook, resharing the post. “Neil’s never had trouble with erections.”

This is far from the first time that a figure in the music industry has come forward to call out the negative implications that come with the rise of AI.

A recent study shared the stark warning that people working in music are likely to lose a quarter of their income to Artificial Intelligence over the next four years. This prediction comes as the annual market for generative AI is currently €3billion, and is expected to rise to €64billion by 2028.

Deezer also reported that around 10,000 AI-generated tracks are submitted to the platform daily – making up around 10 per cent of all its music uploads.

Last summer, Nick Cave warned of the dangers of the rise of AI in music, saying that its usage within the industry is “unbelievably disturbing” and will have a “humiliating effect” on creatives

Meanwhile, Elton John, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Paul McCartney, Florence Welch, Kate Bush and Robbie Williams are among those who this year called on the UK government to change copyright laws amid the threat from AI.

ABBA‘s Björn Ulvaeus, on the other hand, has revealed he is writing a new musical using AI, which he believes is “such a great tool”.

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