Man sentenced for using AI-generated songs and tens of thousands of bots to game streaming platforms
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An American man named Smith used roughly 10,000 bot accounts and AI-generated songs to generate fake streams on streaming platforms, fraudulently collecting $8,091,843.64 in royalties. In October 2026, Ars Technica reported that the court sentenced Smith to 18 months in prison and ordered forfeiture of the money. This was the first such case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Smith's lawyer argued that the DOJ was making an example of him and that he never actually received the $8 million; the DOJ countered that Smith persistently used deceptive tactics and lied to police, warranting a heavy sentence as a deterrent. His streaming manipulation at one point exceeded Taylor Swift's real stream counts.
AI overview of reporting · Updated 11 days ago
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- Ars Technica · AIFraudster jailed for using 10K bots and AI songs to outstream Taylor Swift
Smith was sentenced to 18 months in prison for using roughly 10,000 bot accounts and AI songs to generate fake streams and defraud $8,091,843.64 in royalties, and must forfeit the money, in the US Department of Justice's (DOJ) first such prosecution. His lawyer argued the DOJ made an example of him and that he never actually received the $8 million; the DOJ said his continued deception and lying to police warranted a heavy sentence.