tech
US man pleads guilty to defrauding music streamers out of millions using AI
Michael Smith, 52, charged after flooding platforms with thousands of AI songs and boosting them with bots
TL;DR
- Michael Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
- He generated thousands of AI songs and used bots to artificially boost listens.
- Smith defrauded streaming platforms and musicians out of millions in royalties.
- The case highlights the growing problem of AI-generated music impacting legitimate artists.
- Smith faces up to five years in prison and forfeiture of over $8 million.