Kuala Lampur, April 22 -- The sultry songs of Lolita Cercel, an AI-generated singer, are a sensation in Romania, racking up millions of views online - but angering real-life musicians and drawing criticism from the Roma minority as a racist cliche.

Since debuting late last year, "Lolita" has given TV interviews, landed representation by a top booking agency and had a cabinet member use the digitally generated singer's telegenic image to promote his ministry's projects.

But the videos' popularity has stirred debate in Romania about artificial intelligence replacing humans, and has raised questions about ethnic stereotypes in a country with a history of discriminating against the Roma.

Lolita is "a very sexualised" character, "a non-Roma...