A global coalition of prominent news media organizations is urging for revised regulations on the use of copyrighted material by artificial intelligence (AI) technology creators. In an open letter published on Wednesday, industry bodies such as the News Media Alliance and the European Publishers’ Council advocate for a framework that allows media companies to engage in collective negotiations with AI model operators concerning the use of their intellectual property.
The exponential rise of generative AI and large language models has led to the dissemination of mass amounts of content by AI-operated platforms, often without proper remuneration or attribution to the original creators. Such practices have significantly undermined the core business models of the media industry. Hence, media organizations are pressing for greater transparency and a fairer distribution of profits generated from the utilization of their content.
As AI-powered services like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard continue to proliferate, numerous industries are grappling with the implications of this technology on their businesses. However, many of these services do not disclose the specific datasets used to train their models, although earlier versions have relied on large-scale scraping of the internet, including content from news websites.
While the adoption of AI technology gains momentum, governments worldwide are still deliberating on regulatory measures to govern its use. This collective call for transparency and negotiation aligns with the longstanding efforts of the news media industry to establish equitable partnerships with tech giants like Meta Platforms and Alphabet. These platforms have faced accusations of profiting from news content while failing to adequately share the financial benefits with publishers.
In the United States, policymakers are currently considering the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act. This proposed bill aims to enable news broadcasters and publishers with fewer than 1,500 full-time employees to collectively negotiate ad rates with major tech companies such as Google and Facebook. Simultaneously, news companies are venturing into the realm of generative AI and initiating negotiations with tech firms to authorize the use of their content for training AI models.
One notable example of cooperation is the recent agreement between the Associated Press (AP) and OpenAI. AP has licensed a portion of its extensive story archive to OpenAI and is exploring the incorporation of generative AI in news reporting. In support of local news, OpenAI has also committed $5 million to the American Journalism Project (AJP), forming a partnership dedicated to leveraging AI for the betterment of community journalism.
By demanding greater transparency and collective negotiation, news media organizations seek to shape a more equitable landscape where the use of AI respects intellectual property rights and acknowledges the contributions of original content creators.
FAQs
Q: What are generative AI and large language models?
Generative AI refers to AI systems capable of creating original content, including text, images, and music. Large language models are specifically designed models that excel in generating human-like language and are widely employed in various AI applications.
Q: Why are news media organizations concerned about AI content use?
News media organizations are concerned because AI platforms often use their copyrighted content without proper compensation or recognition, undermining their core business models.
Q: What is the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act?
The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act is a proposed bill in the United States that aims to enable news broadcasters and publishers, particularly those with smaller staff sizes, to negotiate advertising rates collectively with major tech companies like Google and Facebook.
Q: How are news companies engaging with AI technology?
News companies are exploring the use of generative AI and negotiating agreements with tech companies to allow their content to be used for training AI models. This collaboration aims to integrate AI technology within the news industry while ensuring fair compensation and recognition for publishers.
Q: What is the partnership between the Associated Press and OpenAI?
The Associated Press has signed a deal with OpenAI to license a portion of its vast story archive for the development and exploration of generative AI applications in news reporting. OpenAI has also committed $5 million to the American Journalism Project to support local news initiatives through AI-driven solutions.