Man sentenced to prison after pocketing $8 million from AI songs streamed by bots
A North Carolina man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for a $8 million fraud scheme using AI songs streamed by bots on Spotify and other platforms.Summary
Michael Smith, 54, of North Carolina, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on October 6 by Judge John G. Koeltl for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. From 2017 to 2024, Smith used up to 10,000 bot accounts with fake emails and fraudulent debit cards to stream hundreds of thousands of AI-generated songs on Spotify, YouTube Music, and other platforms, collecting over $8 million in royalties. In April 2023 alone, his bots generated 80.9 million streams on YouTube Music family plans, far exceeding Taylor Swift's 9.3 million streams on the same plans. He pleaded guilty in March and must also forfeit $8,091,843.64 and serve two years of supervised release. Prosecutors sought at least 46 months, but the judge imposed a lighter sentence. The case highlights the growing issue of AI-driven streaming fraud, with platforms like Spotify introducing measures such as AI Persona badges to combat fake artists.
(Source：Dexerto)