Sanremo Music Festival bans AI from replacing human creativity in 2027

The Sanremo Music Festival has announced new regulations for its 2027 edition, introducing strict limits on the use of generative artificial intelligence. Under the direction of artistic director Stefano De Martino, the rules state that AI cannot be used in a way that replaces, alters, or distorts the essential human creative contribution in the composition of lyrics, music, or final realization of songs.

To enforce these rules, the festival may employ digital audio forensic analysis. Experts, such as Aurelien Herault of Deezer, note that while hybrid works present challenges, AI-generated tracks can often be identified with high precision—up to 99.8%—by detecting microscopic audio artifacts left by generative models. Technologies like Google DeepMind’s SynthID are also noted as potential tools for digital watermarking.

The 77th edition, scheduled for February 16–20, 2027, will feature 24 artists in a single category. Other structural changes include the introduction of online voting via RaiPlay, a new Performance Night to select the Eurovision representative, and a dedicated cover song evening. The official announcement of the artist lineup is expected to begin around November 29, 2026.