Thousands of globally recognized writers have expressed their displeasure at the unregulated use of copyrighted work by AI companies. This collective action has sparked a global conversation about intellectual property rights in the context of AI and machine learning technologies.
A Unified Call for Fairness
Margaret Atwood, James Patterson, Jonathan Franzen, Suzanne Collins, and Viet Thanh Nguyen, among other prominent authors, have endorsed a letter addressed to tech giants such as OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, Alphabet, IBM, and Stability AI. This letter has been orchestrated by the Authors Guild, the most significant professional writers’ organization in the United States.
The authors highlight the exploitation of their creative work by AI systems without consent, credit, or compensation, emphasizing the unfairness of this practice. The letter notes, “Millions of copyrighted books, articles, essays, and poetry provide the ‘food’ for AI systems, endless meals for which there has been no bill.”
The Cost of AI Development
These AI companies have invested billions into developing their AI technologies. The authors argue that a fair compensation for using their writings to feed these systems is more than justified. Without such content, the authors contend, AI would be bland and notably limited.
AI’s Threat to Writers’ Livelihoods
The authors further highlight the potential harm AI introduction could have on the writing profession, especially for young writers and voices from underrepresented communities. The indiscriminate use of their works by AI could make earning a living from their profession even more challenging, if not entirely impossible.
Generative AI models, such as ChatGPT, heavily rely on vast amounts of data harvested from the internet to generate content mimicking human speech.
A Growing Resistance
This recent outcry by the Authors Guild is just the latest in an increasing resistance from the arts world against AI-developing firms. There is a mounting concern about the role of AI in creative industries, with Hollywood actors and writers striking over AI’s involvement in filmmaking.
In a recent development, US authors filed a lawsuit against OpenAI alleging misuse of their works to train its chatbot, ChatGPT. Massachusetts-based authors Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad are seeking damages for copyright infringement over alleged unauthorized use of information from approximately 300,000 books.
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