Rosemary Godin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Cape Breton Post
Celebrated Cape Breton fiddler Ashley MacIsaac is the victim of AI (artificial intelligence) misinformation and is currently seeking help to take legal action in his defence.
A singer, songwriter and performer, MacIsaac had offered to headline a concert in the Sipekne’katik First Nation (Shubenacadie) on Dec. 19, but the band council cancelled his appearance.
It appears that inflammatory and wrong information was included in his biography, which appeared when his name was googled on social media. The wrong information claimed he was a convicted sex offender.
In an interview with a media outlet, MacIsaac said, “If a lawyer wants to take this on (for free) … I would stand up because I’m not the first and I’m sure I won’t be the last.”
MacIsaac believes it is a case of mistaken identity — with the convictions belonging to a person with a similar name living in a different province.
The 50-year-old MacIsaac has a long history of genre-bending and attention-getting performances in Nova Scotia and worldwide. Many still remember him as a curly-haired 11-year-old who would win all the prizes — youth or adult — at the Sackville Fiddling Contest held annually in Lower Sackville.
He is a cousin of famed fiddler Natalie McMaster and would tour and play with another up-and-coming Cape Bretoner, the gifted Tara Touesnard, who was tragically killed in an automobile accident in 1994 at the age of 21. She was three years older than MacIsaac and both were riding a wave of renewed appreciation of fiddle music among young people when she died.
It was two years later, at the age of 20, that MacIsaac began receiving international acclaim for his debut album: “Hi How Are You Today?” that went double platinum.
He quickly became dubbed “L’enfant terrible of the fiddle,” because of his free-spirited personality, but there was no denying his talent.
MacIsaac grew up around a family that played traditional Celtic tunes. He was known as a fiddle prodigy as a child and continues to draw large crowds as a middle-aged adult for his musical prowess at both playing and writing, as well as his energetic performances.
He has often gained attention for being outspoken on such things as social justice issues, his personal struggles with addiction, political opinions, and at times outrageous antics on stage.
“Locals had believed the information,” he said of the Sipekne’katik organizers of the December concert. “What the internet spit out was completely false and based on someone in Newfoundland having had horrendous convictions for crimes.”
MacIsaac said he was concerned that “the proper facts may not be disseminated in time” for him to hold the concert without doing more harm to the community of Sipekne’katik.
MacIsaac has long been known as a champion of reconciliation with First Nations and was holding the concert to support the Indigenous struggle with the Nova Scotia government concerning issues of federally given constitutional rights and First Nation rights of self-governance.
Sipekne’katik First Nation quickly issued an apology to MacIsaac when it determined he had not committed the crimes attributed to him by an internet search.
“On behalf of Chief and Council of Sipekne’katik First Nation, I want to offer our sincere apology for the cancellation of your scheduled concert, and the distress it caused,” Sipekne’katik said in a statement issued publicly.
“Decisions were based on incorrect information generated through an AI-assisted search, which mistakenly associated you with offenses unrelated to you. We deeply regret the harm this caused to your reputation and livelihood.’
“We are grateful for your patience and your willingness to engage with our community despite this situation. We also recognize the broader impact this incident may have had on community members and want to emphasize that this was a case of mistaken identity, not a reflection of who you are.’
“Chief and Council value your artistry, contributions to the cultural life of the Maritimes, and your commitment to reconciliation. We hope to move forward together positively.”
MacIsaac said he was grateful for the apology and that he intends to come from his home in Ontario to put on a concert for Sipekne’katik “when the timing is right.”
He last played in Nova Scotia on Dec. 21 at the Marigold Centre in Truro and spent Christmas at his home in Windsor, Ont.
Rosemary Godin is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for the Cape Breton Post, a position funded by the federal government.
