As I mentioned in my Substack About page, I have a background in computer science (formal) but also writing and art (self-taught, currently a professional writer/illustrator). I had a keen interest in AI back in university, specifically in natural language processing. While I believe that generative AI technology can help humankind in many ways, I also strongly feel that copyright issues need to be addressed sooner than later, especially when creators’ work is being used to help train AI, without permission or compensation.
Recently: More than 10,000 authors signed an Authors Guild letter calling on AI industry leaders to protect writers. In addition to many excellent points, the letter points out that the bulk of the books used to train AI tech originates from pirate sources and websites.
“We need to ensure that human creators are compensated, not just for the sake of the creators, but so our books and arts continue to reflect both our real and imagined experiences, open our minds, teach us new ways of thinking, and move us forward as a society, rather than rehash old ideas.” - Quote from Authors’ Guild page about the impact of AI on writers, and what we can do about it.
On Substack:
Why I’m illustrating my stories without AI art - by Elizabeth Tai
Elsewhere:
Authors Guild Issues Contract Clause Changes To Account For AI - by Jim Milliot, Publishers Weekly
Sarah Silverman sues OpenAI and Meta claiming AI training infringed copyright - The Guardian. The US comedian and two other authors say artificial intelligence models used their work without permission.
Publishers’ group warns that generative AI content could violate copyright law - by Ryan Berwick, Marketing Brew (June 5, 2023). A publishers’ trade association— which includes the New York Times, the Washington Post, Disney, and NBCUniversal—is reminding members that AI tools built on their archives could break copyright laws.
Copyright challenges in the age of AI: Who owns AI-generated content? - by Imane El Atillah, Euronews.next (updated July 11, 2023)
Authors Join The Brewing Legal Battle Over AI - by Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly
Who owns the copyright: AI or the artist? - by Robert Mahari, Jessica Fjeld and Ziv Epstein, via How Stuff Works (06/15/2023)
Who owns AI-generated content? Understanding ownership, copyrighting, and how the law interprets AI-generated art - by Sarang Sheth via Yankodesign.com (05/27/2023)
What companies are doing about it:
Shutterstock to offer AI-generated art while compensating human artists
(thanks to Reid Ellis for the link)
Also see my archive of previous AI News & Creatives news round-ups. Interested in writing and illustrating children’s picture books? See my Picture Books 101 series on Substack, my list of traditionally published children’s book illustrators on Substack, and how a rejection helped me get my first children’s book contract.