Looks like AI isn’t just writing stories.. it also steals them.

On August 20, 2024, during a dark and stormy night..

ah, screw the storytelling.

Anthropic (a company building AI Systems) has been sued by several authors, allegedly for misusing their books, along with hundreds of thousands of others, to train its AI chatbot - Claude.

The authors claimed that their material was used without consent or compensation, to train the AI.

This is part of a broader trend, as AI companies like OpenAI and Meta have also faced similar lawsuits.

Beyond just Anthropic,

this is a significant dilemma surrounding AI development.

Data scraping from vast digital sources, including creative works, is occuring without proper consent or compensation.

Which, on a wider note, opens the question of AI exploiting human creativity…

… and at the end of the day, leads to AI companies profiting from the creative labour of others.

But although this is exploitation, the risks run beyond…

UNESCO and other organisations have already begun addressing the need for strong ethical guardrails to ensure AI technology does not worsen existing inequalities.

If AI systems are trained without oversight on human-created content, they might end up including unfair biases and violating human rights.

In a broader ethical context, the lawsuit Anthropic faces underscores the importance of ensuring that AI is developed responsibly, with respect for both intellectual property and human dignity. 

The rapid rise of AI technologies has created a need for clear regulations to ensure that AI contributes to a more inclusive and equitable world, rather than fuelling divisions.

What does this mean for the future?

Mary Rasenberger from the Authors Guild has pointed to the possibility of AI licensing becoming a valuable source of income for writers in the future.

An optimistic outlook on the evolution of the industry, this hints towards a more structured relationship between AI developers and content creators through fair compensation agreements.

Looks like intellectual property laws have to catch up with the rapid evolution of AI technologies, as more authors, artists, and musicians come forward with legal claims.

The Anthropic case also raises concerns about the long-term effects of AI on creativity.

Depending on how it is managed, AI’s influence on creativity may be both beneficial and detrimental, potentially limiting true originality.

As AI systems become more integrated into everyday life, they must be used responsibly, with safeguards in place to ensure that human creativity is respected and valued.

Here are some key considerations for business owners:

• Develop AI transparently, addressing biases

• Respect intellectual property and get consent

• Prevent AI from discriminating or causing harm

• Collaborate with creators and policymakers

• Ensure AI enhances, not replaces, human creativity

• Support clear AI regulations for a fair society

If you want to learn more about these debates around AI, join our waitlist today and become part of the next cohort of applicants!

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• Apple released the new Iphone 16 with Apple Intelligence - take a closer look here. 

Weve