New Trend: AI Music Catfishing?

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New Trend: AI Music Catfishing?

Ryan Spahn<br>Jul 09, 2026

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I’m actively dating and enjoying meeting people through various apps, looking for anything from a short-term connection to a long-term relationship. Finding someone who is also a musician, songwriter, or singer is a huge bonus. So when I matched with Jordan on Hinge this past Wednesday, I was excited. We immediately bonded over writing, playing, and producing music. After a quick video chat on Friday to verify each other, I made the 3.5-hour drive from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to Tobyhanna, PA for an impromptu first date.<br>Before meeting, we spent hours talking about songwriting, our creative process, and the bands we’d played in. We exchanged music, too. I shared rough demos of my songs—acoustic guitar, vocals, and simple GarageBand drums—along with AI-produced versions of those same songs. Jordan sent several MP3s and enthusiastically described how they had been written and produced. I even asked, “Is that really you singing? You sound great.” Jordan replied, “Thank you—and yes, that’s me.”<br>Dinner was enjoyable, and we discovered we had other interests in common, including travel. Since we’d spent so much time talking about music beforehand, it seemed natural to head back to Jordan’s house afterward to play guitar and sing together.<br>That’s when things became strange.<br>When I asked where the guitars were, Jordan first said one was “in the laundry room” and added, “I can’t sing right now.” A little later I offered to play something instead, but suddenly the guitar was “upstairs in the bedroom.” The explanation kept changing, and no guitar appeared. The following day Jordan sent photos of showing the guitar hanging on the living room wall, saying that’s where it was. Yet, huh we were sitting in the living room.<br>The inconsistencies made me question whether Jordan was actually a musician at all. During my drive home, Jordan texted asking how I thought the date went. I answered honestly: I wasn’t convinced the musical background I’d been told was real. Jordan insisted, “I’m definitely a lifelong musician.”<br>Something still didn’t feel right.<br>Two days later I took a closer look at the MP3s Jordan had shared. Some contained embedded artwork that was AI-generated, depicting Jordan and the supposed bandmates. There is no information found on the web about Jordan’s band. Out of further curiosity, I ran the tracks through multiple AI music detection tools. Every song on all three detection generators scored likely to be AI-generated.<br>Maybe there’s an innocent explanation. Maybe there isn’t. But if you’re going to build a connection around a shared passion and both agree that you will play music together upon meeting, authenticity matters. I drove seven hours round trip because I thought I was meeting a dating prospect whom i could also enjoy playing music and possibly writing songs. Instead, I believe I was AI Music Catfished.<br>Have you experienced being AI catfished whether via their photos and or their talents? I’d love to hear in the comments below.<br>About the Author: Ryan Spahn enjoys thinking ahead, innovating, and designing simple UX experiences. More @ ryanspahn.com/about.html

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