What did Michael Smith plead guilty to regarding AI music?

Michael Smith pleaded guilty to orchestrating a massive artificial intelligence (AI)-driven music fraud, involving generating thousands of fake songs and streaming them billions of times.

How much money did Michael Smith illegally earn from AI music fraud?

Michael Smith illegally earned over $8 million in royalties from his AI music fraud scheme.

When did Michael Smith's AI music fraud scheme operate?

Michael Smith's AI music fraud scheme operated for seven years, from 2017 to 2024.

Home / Crime and Justice / Man Pleads Guilty to $8M AI Music Streaming Scam

Man Pleads Guilty to $8M AI Music Streaming Scam

24 Mar

•

Summary

Michael Smith pleaded guilty to orchestrating AI-driven music fraud.
He generated billions of fake streams, earning over $8 million illegally.
The scheme operated for seven years, from 2017 to 2024.

Man Pleads Guilty to $8M AI Music Streaming Scam

In a landmark case, Michael Smith pleaded guilty to orchestrating a massive artificial intelligence (AI)-driven music fraud. From 2017 to 2024, Smith generated thousands of AI-produced music tracks. He then deployed automated bots to stream these songs billions of times. This fraudulent operation allowed him to illegally pocket over $8 million in royalties, earning approximately $1.03 million annually.

Smith's conviction marks a significant success in prosecuting AI-assisted fraud within the music industry. US Attorney Jay Clayton stated that Smith's scheme diverted millions in royalties from legitimate artists and rights holders. Facing up to five years in prison, Smith is also subject to forfeiting over $8 million when he is sentenced on July 29.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.