A bunch of top-notch news publishers from the U.S. and the rest of the world are joining forces. Their mission? To take on the challenges brought on by big AI companies, including OpenAI and Google. This tactical team-up is all about tackling the uncool use of publishers’ precious content by these AI big shots, without asking or paying. With the news world changing faster than ever, these publishers are dead set on protecting their stuff, keeping journalism honest, and setting new rules for how their work is used by AI giants. Let’s break down this hot topic, check out the problems the publishers are facing, and see what this all could mean for news and AI’s future.

The Birth of a Legal Throwdown

As per a report from Semafor, big-name publishers like The New York Times, News Corp, Axel Springer, Dotdash Meredith, and IAC are teaming up. Their goal is to stand up to AI heavyweights like Google and OpenAI. The beef? The claim that these AI superstars have been using publishers’ content to train their AI models, all without asking nicely or shelling out cash.

The boss of IAC, Joey Levin, is worried about how far AI might go in the media world. He’s saying that it could be even “more profound” than the common worry about AI getting too smart and taking over the world.

What’s Eating the Publishers?

The publishers can see that AI could do a lot of good in different areas. But what’s really bugging them is how it could affect web traffic and how users engage with their content. With AI chatbots scraping data off publishers’ websites more and more, there’s a chance that users could get the content without any credit given to or links back to the original source. This could chip away at publishers’ visibility and reputation, leaving them high and dry without the credit and clicks they should be getting.

Highlighting the Potential Disaster

Publishers banding together to fight off AI’s possible devastating effect on journalism follows a heads-up from IAC Chairman Barry Diller. He voiced his worries about the unexpected outcomes of AI being everywhere in the media world, pushing for protective steps to keep publishers’ interests safe.

Different Takes: The Associated Press and OpenAI

In a surprising move, the Associated Press (AP) made a deal with ChatGPT’s maker, OpenAI. The deal was about letting OpenAI use an archive of news stories, giving them access to the news agency’s text archive. In return, AP gets to use OpenAI’s tech and expertise. The different plays by publishers and AP show how hard it is to find a middle ground between growing AI and keeping publishers’ content rights safe.

A Legal Battlefield Full of Lawsuits

The brewing legal war between publishers and tech giants is just one of many. Over the last few months, AI companies like Google, OpenAI, Meta, and Midjourney have been hit with multiple lawsuits. These lawsuits are coming from content creators, artists, and publishers. They’re accusing the AI companies of using their content to train AI models without asking or paying. The big-deal case of comedian Sarah Silverman and others suing OpenAI and Meta for copyright infringement shows how serious this is getting.

Google has also been slammed with a group lawsuit, accusing the company of sneakily using online content to train its AI chatbots without asking.

Heading for Regulation

With the legal drama heating up, the Biden administration is starting to regulate AI and address concerns about its development. They’ve got voluntary promises from seven big tech companies, including Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Anthropic, and Inflection AI. These promises are all about promoting the safe, secure, and transparent development of AI tech, while also tackling issues like bias, misinformation, and privacy. However, how to pay data sources for AI training still hasn’t been sorted out in these promises. This adds even more to the ongoing debate.

Wrap-Up

The united actions of major news publishers taking on AI giants show their drive to keep journalism honest and protect their content from uncool use. As the legal fight unfolds and the rules start to take shape, it’s unclear what this all could mean for AI’s future and journalism. Balancing AI innovation and protecting the rights of content creators is going to be key in shaping the future of media and tech. The publishers teaming up shows how important a transparent and responsible approach to AI development is. It makes sure that journalism can keep on thriving in the digital age.

Note: This article is just for info, not legal advice. If you need legal help, talk to a pro.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the issue between publishers and AI companies?

Major news publishers from around the world are teaming up to confront AI companies like OpenAI and Google. They’re concerned that these AI companies are using their content to train AI models without their permission or fair compensation. This could impact publishers’ web traffic and engagement, and reduce their visibility and credibility.

Who are some of the major publishers involved?

Big-name publishers like The New York Times, News Corp, Axel Springer, Dotdash Meredith, and IAC are part of this coalition. They’re taking a stand against AI companies, which they accuse of improperly using their content.

What has the response from AI companies been?

AI companies have not yet responded publicly to these allegations. However, there have been lawsuits brought against companies like Google, OpenAI, Meta, and Midjourney by content creators, artists, and publishers, accusing these companies of using their content without permission.

What steps are being taken to regulate AI?

The Biden administration has secured voluntary commitments from several prominent tech companies, including Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Anthropic, and Inflection AI, to promote the safe and transparent development of AI technology. However, these commitments have not yet addressed specifics about compensating data sources for AI training.

How is the Associated Press (AP) handling the situation?

Interestingly, AP has taken a different approach by partnering with OpenAI. The deal allows OpenAI access to AP’s text archive, and in return, AP gets access to OpenAI’s technology and product expertise.

What are the implications for the future of journalism and AI?

The future of AI and journalism is uncertain as the legal battle unfolds and regulatory landscapes evolve. A balance needs to be found between AI innovation and protecting the rights of content creators. This will be crucial in shaping the future of media and technology.

Sources FORBES