by Ronak Chadha ‘25
In an era where Artificial Intelligence (AI) significantly influences every aspect of our lives, a critical question looms large: Does AI have an intellectual property problem? As high school students, we are not just passive consumers of AI-generated content, but also potential future creators and consumers, making this topic crucial. AI has taken the world by storm with its ability to generate art, images, scripts, text, and more. It is not just limited to mundane tasks; AI has the power to create awe-inspiring pieces of art. For instance, the AI artwork “Portrait of Edmond de Belamy” sold for over $400,000, showcasing AI’s artistic prowess. However, here’s the catch: AI doesn’t create in a vacuum. It learns from vast datasets, and that is where the issue lies.
These concerns take center stage in a recent lawsuit filed by prominent authors George R.R. Martin, the creator of Games of Thrones, and fiction writer Jodi Picoult, against OpenAI. The lawsuit revolves around the claim that OpenAI’s products, such as ChatGPT, illegally use copyrighted work to train their artificial intelligence models. The authors contend that the use of their copyrighted materials as training data amounts to reproducing their works without permission. Similarly, the Hollywood writers’ strike, lasting for months, focused on AI usage and compensation for writers. The Writer’s Guild aimed to ensure that writers receive a fair share of the performance gains if AI enhances productivity or content quality, without completely banning AI usage. Finally, AI is also at the heart of the Hollywood actors’ strike as they are concerned that AI could use their likeness or entirely replace background actors including voice-over actors in the gaming industry, without their consent.
Picture AI as a student and its training data as its textbooks. AI learns from an immense amount of data, often sourced from the internet, books, and other references. This data forms the foundation upon which AI generates its content. The problem arises when this training data contains copyrighted or trademarked material without proper authorization. AI, acting as a creative sponge, absorbs these materials and incorporates them into its output. AI might therefore inadvertently create content that infringes upon someone else’s intellectual property. Similarly, consider the prompts that users provide to AI. When users use AI to generate content, they often feed it with instructions or examples, sometimes referring to specific copyrighted works or trademarks. This brings up an important question: should users be allowed to prompt AI with direct references to others’ copyrighted and trademarked works without permission?
To answer this, it is important to understand the principles of copyright law. Copyright grants creators exclusive rights over their works, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and create derivative works. The practice of prompting AI with copyrighted or trademarked materials constitutes a gray area, not covered explicitly by current copyright laws. On one hand, it is about using AI as a tool, just like a paintbrush or a camera. On the other hand, it is about potential copyright infringement, as AI might generate content that bears a resemblance to the copyrighted material. The challenge here is striking a balance between creativity, innovation, and respecting intellectual property rights. In this new landscape, there is a need to foster innovation and creativity while ensuring creators are duly recognized and protected.
So, does AI have an intellectual property problem? Yes, it does, but it’s a complex one. The issue goes beyond AI itself; it is about how we, as a society, navigate this uncharted territory. We must actively engage in discussions about AI’s impact on intellectual property. This involves advocating for more explicit copyright guidelines regarding AI-generated content and considering whether there should be stricter controls on training data.
As high school students, we are at the forefront of the AI revolution. Our generation will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of AI and intellectual property. Let’s embrace this challenge with a deep sense of responsibility, advocating for a future where innovation thrives while respecting the rights of creators. It is a delicate balance, but one worth striving for.