Streaming service Deezer has announced that it has developed technology that allows it to detect and potentially delete songs that clone the voices of pop stars.

The French company says it wants to “eliminate illegal and misleading content” to protect artists.

“We have to take a stand now,” Deezer chief executive Jeronimo Folgueira told the BBC. “We are at a pivotal moment in music,” he added.

He recently released a slew of songs that used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reproduce the vocals of real artists.

In April, Universal Music successfully petitioned streaming services to remove the song “Heart On My Sleeve,” which was reportedly sung by two of the company’s biggest artists, Drake and The Weeknd.

“The application of genetic artificial intelligence using our artists’ music,” the company said in a statement, is “a violation of copyright law.” However, the position is not based on a court decision and remains a legal gray area.

Musicians themselves are divided about the technology. Alt-pop singer Grimes said her voice is available for anyone to use, but Sting said artists are in a “battle” to keep the music copyrighted.

Deezer has a small share of the UK streaming market, but is better known in France and parts of South America.

The new tool will detect music created with genetic artificial intelligence “starting with songs for which synthetic voices of artists were used.”

The songs will be notified to record labels, artists and other rights holders, who can then decide what kind of action to take.

However, the song detection tool is based on machine learning and Artificial Intelligence.