What to know

  • Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, claims requiring permission from artists for AI training would be devastating for the industry.
  • His comments respond to a letter from UK artists and creators urging the government to implement opt-in policies for AI training.
  • Clegg argues that copyright laws were never designed to restrict the ability to learn from publicly available information.

Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, has spoken out against proposals that would require AI companies to get permission from artists before using their work to train artificial intelligence models.

In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Clegg warned that implementing such permission-based systems would effectively "kill" the AI industry. His comments came in response to a letter signed by over 200 UK artists and creators that urged the government to implement opt-in policies for AI training.

"If we had to get permission from every author of every sentence on the open internet that large language models learn from, these models wouldn't exist," Clegg stated. He emphasized that copyright laws were never intended to restrict the ability to learn from publicly available information.

The debate centers on how AI companies use creative works to train their models. Many artists and creators have expressed concerns about their work being used without consent or compensation to develop AI systems that could potentially replace them.

The letter from UK artists specifically called for the government to ensure that AI companies obtain explicit permission before using copyrighted works for training purposes. Signatories included prominent figures from the UK's creative industries.

Clegg defended Meta's approach, suggesting that the company is working on tools that would allow creators to opt out of having their work used for AI training. However, he maintained that a blanket requirement for prior permission would be impractical and harmful to innovation.

This dispute highlights the growing tension between technology companies developing AI systems and creative professionals concerned about their intellectual property rights. Similar debates are occurring globally as governments consider how to regulate the rapidly evolving AI industry.

The UK government is currently developing its approach to AI regulation, with creative rights being one of many considerations. The outcome of these policy decisions could have significant implications for both the AI industry and creative professionals.

Meta, like other major tech companies, has invested heavily in AI development. The company has integrated AI features across its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, and continues to expand its AI capabilities.

Via: The Times