TechMan jailed for using 10,000 bots and AI songs to defraud music streamers

Michael Smith, 54, of North Carolina, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to using AI-generated songs in a scheme that siphoned millions from music-streaming platforms. The Justice Department called him the first American criminally charged with AI-assisted streaming fraud. His scheme went undetected for seven years before he was first charged in 2024.

AIstreaming fraudmusic platforms

AArs Technica★★★☆☆2026-10-07 17:57Original