For quite some time now, human musicians have watched in horror as AI-generated slop has started drowning out their work on streaming platforms.
Companies like Spotify have discovered entire networks of bots that were designed to fraudulently boost the listenership of AI-generated music, a bizarre scheme essentially involving bots listening to bot music to capture royalties that could’ve otherwise...
The strongest version of this narrative is that AI-driven fraud in music streaming is a systemic problem, not just an isolated incident. The case against Michael Smith demonstrates how easily AI can be weaponized to exploit digital platforms, diverting resources from human creators. The prosecution’s success signals growing legal recognition of this issue, while Spotify’s policy updates suggest industry awareness. However, the persistence of such schemes raises questions about whether current me...