A singer-songwriter, Michael Smith, has pleaded guilty to defrauding music streaming platforms out of millions in royalties. He used AI to generate thousands of songs and automated bots to stream them billions of times. This marks one of the first successful prosecutions of AI-related fraud in the music industry. Smith faces up to five years in prison and the forfeiture of $8,091,843.64 when he is sentenced later this summer.
The case highlights a growing problem for the music industry, with many calling for more to be done to protect artists’ work from being ripped off by AI firms. The UK government recently ditched plans to allow AI firms to use copyrighted works without permission, following a campaign led by artists such as Paul McCartney and Kate Bush. The music industry continues to grapple with the impact of AI on creativity and royalties, with many seeking more transparency and legislative underpinning to address these issues.
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