Tech Giants Face Backlash Over AI Copyright Demands
Leading technology firms, including Google and OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, are under fire for allegedly seeking preferential treatment regarding copyrighted material. Critics claim these companies are lobbying the White House to permit the use of copyrighted content for training artificial intelligence models without providing fair compensation to copyright holders, a move opposed by major news publishers.
Publishers Accuse Big Tech of Seeking “License to Steal”
More than sixty newspapers, part of the Alden Global Capital group and including prominent publications such as the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, and Denver Post, jointly published an editorial on Monday. The editorial urged the current administration to reject what they termed “self-serving proposals” from Big Tech, arguing that these proposals pose a significant threat to the news industry.
“Undermining established copyright protections to benefit AI systems would have a detrimental impact not only on news organizations but also across the broader spectrum of creative industries, affecting writers, playwrights, and poets,” the editorial asserted.
The publishers emphasized the importance of copyright, stating, “This steadfast dedication to safeguarding the rights of creators over their original works is a fundamental difference between the United States and nations like communist China, not the opposite.”
Content Creators Unite Against Copyright Rollbacks
This public appeal follows letters from Google and OpenAI to the White House, where they reportedly argued for adjustments to copyright laws. These tech companies contend that current copyright regulations, designed to protect content creators from unauthorized use of their work, need to be relaxed. They assert that such changes are necessary to maintain national security and ensure US leadership in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
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This stance from Big Tech has also drawn criticism from a coalition of influential Hollywood figures, including actors Mark Ruffalo and Olivia Wilde. These creatives, known for their diverse political views, have collectively appealed to the White House to uphold existing copyright protections.
In their letter, signed by over 400 individuals from the film and television industry, they stated, “We firmly believe that America’s leadership in AI innovation should not compromise the vitality of our crucial creative sectors.”
The letter further elaborated, “AI companies are attempting to weaken this economic and cultural strength by eroding copyright safeguards for the films, TV shows, artworks, writings, music, and voices that are integral to training AI models – models that underpin corporate valuations in the billions of dollars.”
White House and Big Tech Respond
The publication reached out to the White House for comment on the matter.
A Google spokesperson responded on Tuesday, stating, “We support America’s current fair use framework, and we are confident that existing copyright law is conducive to AI innovation.”
OpenAI has not yet issued a statement.
AI Regulation and National Security Concerns
Big Tech’s proposals are a response to the White House’s call for “action plans” concerning AI, intended to guide future federal regulations.
OpenAI specifically linked its argument for easing copyright restrictions to national security, suggesting that the US risks falling behind China in AI development if copyright protections are not weakened.
The Microsoft-backed company argued, “The federal government can simultaneously protect Americans’ ability to benefit from AI and prevent the US from losing its AI advantage to the PRC by ensuring American AI models can learn from copyrighted material.”
Google advocated for what it described as “balanced copyright rules,” which would enable AI companies to utilize copyrighted material for model training.
In its submission, Google stated, “These exceptions facilitate the use of publicly available copyrighted content for AI training without significantly harming rights holders, and they bypass often complex, unpredictable, and protracted negotiations with data owners during model development or research.”
News Industry Warns of “Catastrophic” Impact
Industry groups, such as the News Media Alliance, representing over 2,200 publishers including this publication, have long cautioned that training AI chatbots on copyrighted news articles without proper attribution or payment could inflict “catastrophic” financial damage on already strained news organizations.
In its submission to the White House, the News Media Alliance emphasized the economic significance of copyright-protected industries, noting their contribution of “$2.09 trillion to the US GDP, nearly 8% of the American economy.”
The group added, “AI companies are leveraging the long-criticized Chinese practice of widespread copyright infringement to argue that America should abandon its historical commitment to protecting and promoting intellectual property.”
“This argument incorrectly suggests that American AI innovation cannot compete without violating existing laws. This is simply not true.”
Legal Battles and Licensing Agreements
Several newspapers owned by Alden Global Capital are currently pursuing legal action against OpenAI and its primary investor, Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement. The New York Times has also initiated a similar lawsuit against the company behind ChatGPT.
News Corp, the parent company of this publication and the Wall Street Journal, favors “negotiation over litigation,” according to CEO Robert Thomson.
Last year, News Corp reached a content licensing agreement with OpenAI, reportedly valued at over $250 million, which included provisions to protect its journalistic content.
Thomson stated last July, “We would prefer to engage in dialogue rather than lawsuits, given that legal disputes primarily benefit lawyers. However, we caution that if dialogue proves unproductive, we are fully prepared to pursue legal action.”