RTSH requires original work by songwriters and excludes artificial intelligence from competing songs. The rule prioritises human creativity, while the method of verification remains to be clarified.
The 65th Festivali i Këngës on RTSH will take place on December 17, 18, 19 and 20, 2026, featuring four competition nights and 28 participants selected after the application and song assessment stages. This edition includes artists from Albania, Kosovo and the diaspora, with established names alongside emerging performers.
Participants announced by RTSH include Kejsi Tola, Orgesa Zaimi, Ardit Çuni, Djemtë e Detit, Vanesa Sono and Sara Bajraktari. Online applications ran from September 22 to 27, while the dates of the four nights were announced on October 13.
Competing songs must be performed in Albanian, must not have been released previously and must not exceed four minutes. Alongside these requirements, Fest 65 has set a clear boundary on technology: entries must be original works by their authors and must not be created with artificial intelligence.
What the rule specifies
In its official competition requirements, RTSH states that a song must be an original creation by its authors rather than created with AI. Failure to meet the published criteria results in exclusion from the participation competition.
In its October 13 announcement, the organiser describes the ban as applying at every stage of song creation. Another RTSH announcement connects this position with protecting human creativity and copyright.
How will AI use be verified?
The rule is clear in principle, but the public documents consulted for this article do not explain the checking procedure. They do not specify what evidence authors will need to provide or how suspected cases will be assessed.
No specific requirement to submit project files or early song versions is set out in the published conditions.
The restriction concerns competing songs
The announced ban refers to the creation of participating songs. It should not automatically be interpreted as a ban on artificial intelligence in every aspect of the festival’s television production, graphics or promotional materials.
From an editorial perspective, the decision moves the discussion beyond AI’s technical capabilities: a music competition also needs to consider how authors’ contributions are defined and documented.
As previously reported, Fest 65 will feature four competition nights and 28 participants. Read our article on the festival dates, participants and rules.
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