U.S. Copyright Office Probes AI Streaming Fraud

The U.S. Copyright Office has officially opened a public inquiry into music streaming fraud, seeking data from artists, labels, and platforms regarding the impact of AI-generated tracks and bot-driven streaming schemes. This move follows a formal request from Rep. Scott Fitzgerald of the House Judiciary Committee, who expressed concerns over the integrity of the digital royalty ecosystem.

The inquiry aims to understand the scale at which 'AI slop'—low-quality, automated content—is infiltrating streaming services to divert revenue from legitimate creators. By soliciting public comments, the Copyright Office hopes to gather evidence on how these automated systems operate and what regulatory measures might be necessary to protect the royalty pool.

This development marks a significant escalation in the government's oversight of AI in the music industry. As streaming platforms struggle to distinguish between human-made music and AI-generated content, the findings from this inquiry could lead to new federal policies regarding streaming transparency and copyright enforcement.