US Man Jailed 18 Months Over $8m AI Music Streaming Fraud

AI music streaming technology. Source: WIPO
A 54-year-old North Carolina man, Michael Smith, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for using artificial intelligence (AI)-generated songs and automated bot accounts to fraudulently collect over $8 million in music royalties.
 
A US federal judge sentenced Smith on October 6 after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the US Department of Justice.
 
In addition to the prison term, the judge ordered Smith to serve two years of supervised release and forfeit $8,091,843.64 obtained through the illegal scheme.
 
Federal prosecutors stated that Smith operated the fraud scheme between 2017 and 2024, cr...