Michael Smith, 54, sentenced to 18 months in prison for using AI-generated songs and bots to fraudulently stream billions of plays, stealing $8M in royalties from streaming platforms since 2017 in first-ever streaming fraud conviction.

AI Music Streaming Fraudster Sentenced to 1.5 Years in Prison for $8M Royalties Scam

Michael Smith admitted earlier this year to using bots to stream fake songs billions of times in a first-ever criminal case over streaming fraud. In this photo illustration, a Spotify app, Apple Music app and Deezer app are seen displayed on a smartphone. Photo Illustration by Thiago Prudencio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Trending on Billboard A man who used AI songs to steal millions in music royalties has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, capping off the first-ever criminal ca...