Musician Charged in $10M AI-Generated Streaming Fraud

Michael Smith allegedly used bots and AI-created songs to manipulate streaming platforms, generating billions of fake streams.

Smith faces charges of wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy, each carrying up to 20 years in prison.
The scheme ran from 2017 to 2024, involving platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
Smith collaborated with an AI music company CEO and a music promoter to produce hundreds of thousands of songs.
Authorities claim Smith's operation employed thousands of bot accounts, streaming his tracks billions of times.
Prosecutors assert the fraud diverted royalties from legitimate artists and songwriters.