The music industry has long held mixed feelings about Spotify’s extensive influence over artists – and these feelings have intensified amid ongoing controversy over Spotify’s chief executive, Daniel Ek, leading a A$1.07bn investment in Helsing, a German defence technology company specialising in AI-driven autonomous weapon systems.
Ek is also chair of Helsing, having joined the board in 2021 when his investment fund Prima Materia put €100m into the then-startup.
In response to Ek’s investment, artists and listeners have been seeking alternatives.
