Spotify will begin labeling AI-generated artists with “AI Persona” profile tags and ban their music from its editorial and algorithmic recommendations, the company announced on Tuesday.

In mid-September, Spotify users will see “AI Persona” badges appear on some artists’ profiles that signal the artist’s identity is AI-generated, instead of representing a real person. While Spotify will allow artists to identify themselves as AI Personas, the company says it won’t rely on self-disclosure alone.

It will also review artist profiles and identify those where the artist’s name and imagery appear to represent photorealistic AI-generated identities. Spotify said it will begin its review with profiles that have met pre-defined audience thresholds to ensure the more listened-to artists are covered first.

Once labeled, the AI Persona badges will appear on the artist’s profile in the banner and the About section, in Search, and on track rows across playlists.

By default, Spotify won’t include AI Personas in its editorial or algorithmic recommendations, nor will it add AI Personas’ music to users’ personalized recommendations — unless they happen to follow an AI Persona. Only users can choose to follow an artist, so it’s an explicit signal that the user wants to hear more music from that person or group.

The move is the latest expansion of Spotify’s AI policies, which detail guidelines for how AI-generated music appears on its service. First announced in September 2025, Spotify’s current policy identifies and labels AI music using industry-standard techniques, and bans unauthorized AI voice clones and deepfakes from its platform.

Like others in the music industry, Spotify is attempting to balance innovations driven by AI, like its own AI-powered Prompted Playlists, AI DJ and chat, and forthcoming AI remixes, while still managing to thwart the deluge of AI-generated slop — low-quality content that AI has made it easier to mass produce. Allowing slop to proliferate could lead to a poor user experience and subscription cancellations.

Spotify also notes that artists will be able to appeal their AI Persona label if they think it’s been incorrectly applied.

Signaling its understanding of a growing consumer backlash against AI-generated art, Spotify wrote in its announcement that, “while we believe all artists have creative choice in determining how they present themselves, Spotify’s programming is focused on elevating music from authentic artists building careers in music.”

However, the company clarified that an AI Persona is a judgment on the artist’s profile, not the music.

“Although there’s a broad spectrum in how artists use AI as a creative tool, the question of whether a profile represents an actual human is one where Spotify can help make a clear determination. This badge is about the artist’s public identity, not about how the music was made,” the company said.

Information about how the music itself was made will continue to be available through Spotify’s other features, like AI Credits and SongDNA.

In the months ahead, Spotify will also roll out a tool that allows users to report artist profiles that appear to be AI Personas that haven’t yet been labeled.

The addition of the labels will also help Spotify users to differentiate between AI Personas and the forthcoming AI-generated remixes and covers, soon to be permitted by Spotify’s recent licensing deals with labels UMG and Merlin. The latter will allow for fan-made remixes and covers, while still funneling money back to the participating artists.

As for the AI Personas, Spotify says artists will be able to self-disclose starting on August 11, 2026, through Spotify for Artists. The labels themselves will appear starting next month.

Anthropic will watermark text generated by its models, including Claude, to comply with European regulations, the company now says. The AI model maker confirmed the watermarking in an updated support page.

EU AI Act’s Transparency Code, which took effect on August 2, requires AI companies to mark AI-generated or edited content in a way other systems can identify them.

Anthropic said that all models released after August 2 will automatically have tech to watermark both computer-generated text and files. For files, the company is using the C2PA open standard.

The company said it will extend support for older models as well, adding that the watermark will travel when users copy and paste the text.

“Because the watermark is part of the text, it will travel with the text when it’s copied and pasted elsewhere, and may persist through some editing. Watermarking will be applied at the model level, which means it will be present no matter which Claude product or surface the text comes from,” the support page reads.

It’s not clear how much editing users need to do to remove the watermark. We have asked Anthropic to clarify and will update the story if we hear back.

The company noted that watermarking will apply to different products like Claude platform API, Claude, Claude Code, Claude Cowork, and Claude Tag.

Platforms are now rushing to watermark AI-generated content after backlash from users and to avoid regulatory scrutiny. Last week, AI music platform Suno said it will mark tracks created on its platform after a spate of legal challenges. Last month, newsletter service Substack teamed up with Pangram to flag AI-generated content. The company’s CEO, Chris Best, called out Claudefishing, a term used for people using AI to generate content.

Apart from Anthropic, other companies like Black Forest Labs, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Synthesia have committed to adhering to the EU’s code.

A ladder just became the latest proving ground in the race to build humanoid robots that can move through the human world.

Figure CEO Brett Adcock released a video showing the company’s Figure 03 robot gripping and climbing a short ladder. Adcock described the demonstration as “fully autonomous,” although Figure has not published success rates or a technical breakdown of the run.

The slow, controlled climb offers another glimpse of what whole-body robotic autonomy could eventually enable — and how much testing remains before such machines can safely work in unpredictable environments.

According to Figure, the robot completed the task autonomously using its Helix AI system rather than relying on remote control or a scripted sequence. 

Ladder climbing is widely considered one of the tougher mobility challenges for humanoid robots because it requires continuous balance adjustments, precise coordination between the arms and legs, and accurate awareness of the surrounding environment.

The demonstration follows a recent update to Figure’s Helix System 0 AI model, which now combines visual perception with whole-body motion control.

Previously, the system depended on proprioception, allowing the robot to monitor its own body position and movement. The upgraded model adds input from onboard stereo cameras, enabling the robot to build a three-dimensional view of its surroundings while tracking its own posture in real time.

Figure said the AI was trained end-to-end with reinforcement learning in simulated environments featuring randomized terrain. The company says the system transfers those learned behaviors directly to physical robots without additional calibration, helping them navigate stairs, ladders, and uneven ground more effectively.

The company also recently said it has increased production of Figure 03 from one robot per day to one per hour and has delivered more than 350 units.

More than a viral robot video

The ladder demonstration comes as humanoid robotics companies face growing pressure to prove their machines can perform practical work beyond carefully staged demos.

Potential applications include factories, warehouses, construction sites, and maintenance jobs where workers regularly encounter stairs, ladders, and uneven surfaces. A robot that can safely move through those environments could take on a wider range of tasks than one limited to flat floors.

Still, the latest demonstration leaves important questions unanswered. Figure has not disclosed success rates, testing conditions, or how the robot performs under more demanding scenarios, such as carrying equipment or operating in poor weather.

The bigger picture

Figure’s latest video highlights how the focus of humanoid robotics is shifting from simply walking to navigating environments built for people. Mobility skills such as climbing, balancing, and adapting to changing terrain may ultimately matter more to commercial customers than eye-catching demonstrations alone.

For businesses evaluating humanoid robots, the milestone is encouraging but not conclusive. The real measure will be whether robots can repeat these tasks reliably, safely, and at scale in unpredictable workplaces where mistakes carry high operational and safety costs.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on our sister publication, eWeek.