The songs that the AI CEO provided to Smith originally had file names full of randomized numbers and letters such as “n_7a2b2d74-1621-4385-895d-b1e4af78d860.mp3,” the DOJ noted in its detailed press release.
When uploading them to streaming platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music, the man would then change the songs’ names to words like “Zygotes,” “Zygotic,” and “Zyme Bedewing,” whatever that is.
The artist naming convention also followed a somewhat similar pattern, with names ranging from the normal-sounding “Calvin Mann” to head-scratchers like “Calorie Event,” “Calms Scorching,” and “Calypso Xored.”
To manufacture streams for these fake songs, Smith allegedly used bots that stream the songs billions of times without any real person listening. As with similar schemes, the bots’ meaningless streams were ultimately converted to royalty paychecks for the people behind them.
RangerJosie@lemmy.world 2 months ago
So why arrested? This is what AI is for right? Oh, he screwed over the wrong people didn’t he?
TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 2 months ago
If they had screwed everyone for 10 billion he would be heralded as a genius.
RangerJosie@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Would been on the cover of Forbes.
Kolanaki@yiffit.net 2 months ago
Stealing is only wrong if you steal from rich people. It’s perfectly acceptable if the victims are poor. /s
RangerJosie@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Not /s sadly.
Just look at Bernie Madoff.
SendMePhotos@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Was anyone really stealing? The ads were served, right? The checks for the ads were paid.
Allonzee@lemmy.world 2 months ago
In addition to the others that replied to you:
theguardian.com/…/malta-car-bomb-kills-panama-pap…
The owners made an example of the journalist that broke the Panama Papers story.
finley@lemm.ee 2 months ago
it’s because his name isn’t NVidia
pete_the_cat@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Or Google/Reddit/Meta.
protist@mander.xyz 2 months ago
He was arrested because he faked a ton of information related to his accounts to make it look like many people were going it. I love that he games the system, but also it sounds like he totally committed financial fraud while doing so
lunarul@lemmy.world 2 months ago
He didn’t get arrested for AI generated music. He got arrested for faking multiple accounts to upload music and using bots to generate fake listens, thus stealing millions of dollars. If the AI generated music was listened to by real users it wouldn’t have been a problem.
jollyrogue@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
Exactly. He “stole” millions from companies stealing billions, and thus was eaten.
bdonvr@thelemmy.club 2 months ago
I don’t think the illegal part has anything to do with the AI
stoly@lemmy.world 2 months ago
This is going to be something like fraud, larceny, etc.