The Impact of AI in Media: Copyright Challenges & OpenAI's Response

In this blog post, we will be exploring the evolving relationship between media outlets and AI as OpenAI faces lawsuits from Raw Story and AlterNet over copyright violations. Discover the implications for journalism and entertainment and learn about OpenAI's response and the push for better crediting practices.

What the companies have stated:

Each of these specific companies are attempting to claim £2,500 per copyright violation from OpenAI or Microsoft, claiming that the methods the AI industry uses is unfair towards artists, journalists and writers. As well as this, the companies have requested that OpenAI and Microsoft must take down and stop the copyrighted layout and information from being used by the AI. Raw Story CEO, John Byrne, who has a long history in activism and nonprofits, states “It is time that news organizations fight back against Big Tech’s continued attempts to monetize other people’s work”.

However, when AI does get crediting right, not only does it follow copyright laws, but it also provides massive engagement for the journalists mentioned. Due to the wide reach of tools like OpenAI and Bing AI, they are able to provide users with a range of different sources and links to the work of whoever’s it has used. This can range from supplying social media links or to where you can find the journalists or artists website/work.

Does AI naturally plagiarise:

Not only is there debate on whether or not AI is more beneficial than harmful, but it is also questioned on whether the formatting of AI content is legally considered plagiarism. AI tools such as ChatGPT and Jasper.AI actually cannot directly steal work, as they are programmed to interpret data and reword it in a different format. This is interpretated differently depending on specific governments, for instance; USA, Britain and Germany are lenient with AI laws, and China, India and Indonesia are stricter. However, this method is still often considered unethical or dishonest, no matter the legal factors, due to the basing of other peoples work.

How this has affected other industries:

·         Entertainment

This lack of credit in AI has had major implications in the past 2 years, resulting in more than just a £2,500 fine, but instead a large strike in the entertainment industry. Due to writers and actors feeling taken advantage of the industry was put on hold for around 100 days. Actors had their likeness used on screen without permission, and writers were out of jobs due to AI producing its own scripts, and so Hollywood unions refused to work.

The overall effect of this strike was demonstrated quite clearly, with a sudden lack in quality throughout film and TV, which we are still seeing over a year later. If these sorts of strikes were to continue happening across different sectors like tech and journalism, the effects could be catastrophic. This demonstrates why AI creators need to implement a more efficient way of crediting writers and journalists, or fines will continue to increase.

·         British Politics

The governmental policy in UK parliament allowing AI to train with the free use of books, film and music has caused outrage within MPs and politicians. One of these MPs being Caroline Dinenage, who warned parliament about the claim that AI had over personal intellectual property. However, the policy makers have stated that this law “provides an appropriate balance between innovation and creator rights”. This political factor could determine how the British public view AI and sway their voting decisions.