Summary:
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Telisha Jones, creator of AI singer Xania Monet, confirmed identity in interview with Gayle King.
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Xania Monet made history on Billboard’s Radio Airplay Chart, sparking debate on AI in music industry.
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Jones emphasizes Xania is about collaboration and innovation, not competition with traditional artists.
Songwriter and digital artist Telisha “Nikki” Jones has publicly confirmed that she is the creator of Xania Monet, the AI-generated singer who made history as the first AI artist to appear on Billboard’s Radio Airplay Chart.
Jones revealed her identity in an interview with Gayle King that aired on Wednesday on CBS Mornings, following weeks of speculation surrounding Xania’s human origin. The appearance comes after Forbes reported on October 29 that Xania Monet had achieved a Billboard breakthrough, sparking debate about the growing role of AI in the music industry. Watch the interview here.
In the interview, King asked Jones about how and why she created Xania, and whether AI could ever match the emotional depth of a human artist. Jones said her work was not about replacing people, but about reimagining creativity.
“We’re not replacing traditional artists; we’re expanding what’s possible,” Jones said. “Technology doesn’t erase emotion; it amplifies it. Xania was never meant to compete with anyone, but was created to collaborate and show that imagination and innovation can coexist beautifully.”
Since her debut, Xania Monet has built an international audience through streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Her breakout single “How Was I Supposed to Know” debuted at No. 1 on Spotify’s South Africa Daily chart before gaining traction worldwide.
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Now signed to Hallwood Media, Xania is positioned as both a musical and technological experiment. Jones told King that the project is as much about human emotion as it is about code.
“There’s a real person behind Xania,” she said. “She’s an extension of me—my stories, my voice, my vision—just translated through a new medium.”
