US man pleads guilty to defrauding music streamers out of millions using AI
Michael Smith, 52, charged after flooding platforms with thousands of AI songs and boosting them with botsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA North Carolina man has pleaded guilty to defrauding music streaming platforms and his fellow musicians out of...
<p>Michael Smith, 52, charged after flooding platforms with thousands of AI songs and boosting them with bots</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&utm_campaign=BN22326&utm_content=signup&utm_term=standfirst&utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox</a></p></li></ul><p>A <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/northcarolina">North Carolina</a> man has pleaded guilty to defrauding music streaming platforms and his fellow musicians out of millions in royalties by flooding the services with thousands of AI-generated songs – and using automated “bots” to artificially boost the number of listens into the billions.</p><p>As part of a deal with federal prosecutors in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/new-york">New York</a>’s southern district, 52-year-old Michael Smith pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/21/man-pleads-guilty-music-streaming-fraud-ai">Continue reading...</a>
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