The $8 million AI music scam | The Vergecast
The Verge · Published on October 14, 2026
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Description
A man named Mike Smith was recently sentenced to 18 months in prison, and a fine in excess of $8 million, for creating an AI system that faked billions of streams and earned him millions in royalties. Wired's Kate Knibbs explains how Smith pulled it off, how he got caught, and what this case means for the internet's growing slop problems. Read Kate's story here: https://bit.ly/4B78Mlu Vote for us in the Signal Awards! Vote Vergecast: Best Technology Podcast - https://bit.ly/3VGqL1T Vote Version History: Best History Podcast - https://bit.ly/4j0ypht Vote Decoder: Best Business Podcast - https://bit.ly/47vDg2W 0:00 Welcome 00:35 90 Seconds on the Verge 02:17 Meet Kate Knibbs 02:53 Who Is Mike Smith? 03:54 Mike's Backstory 06:53 From Hustle to Fraud 09:53 The AI Streaming Flywheel 12:23 How He Got Caught 16:00 What Was Actually Illegal 19:17 Guilty Plea and Sentencing 21:23 Could He Have Slipped By 23:34 Why Spread the Bots 25:52 The Slop Playbook Everywhere 27:07 Platforms Fight Back 32:11 Prediction Markets Twist 33:22 Can Integrity Keep Up 34:31 AI Content Future 37:58 Wrap Up with Kate 38:10 Outro Subscribe to The Verge: https://bit.ly/3FT6n5S Watch The Vergecast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/40RFRkg The Vergecast Podcast: https://bit.ly/3WQDexZ Decoder with Nilay Patel: http://apple.co/3v29nDc More about our podcasts: https://www.theverge.com/podcasts Read More: http://www.theverge.com Community guidelines: http://bit.ly/2D0hlAv Wallpapers from The Verge: https://bit.ly/2xQXYJr Shop our Verge merch store here: https://bit.ly/4kPCmEc If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may receive a commission without exerting any influence on editorial content. For more information about our ethics policy, visit: https://bit.ly/3ZWTlLs
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