LLM copyright and IP theft “de facto endorsed” by UK government
UK government isn’t doing enough
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A committee of UK legislators has criticized the UK government for what it sees as a passive approach to copyright infringements as a result of large language models (LLMs).
In a letter addressed to Science and Technology Minister Michelle Donelan, the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications and Digital criticized the government’s handling of copyright issues, claiming that its limited actions effectively see the government endorsing copyright infringements.
The news comes just several months after the country hosted a worldwide AI summit during which 28 countries signed the Bletchley Agreement to develop safe and responsible AI.
UK government isn’t doing enough to protect from AI copyright issues
Since the public preview launch ofChatGPTin November 2022, and the hundreds of subsequent launches of other similar generativeAI tools, concerns have been raised around the use of copyrighted material, including text, images and audio data, in the development of the models.
The committee’s letter reads: “The Government’s reticence to take meaningful action amounts to a de facto endorsement of tech firms’ practices.”
The letter contrasts the government’s approach to copyright enforcement (“a failed series of roundtables”) with the high-profile attention and significant funding allocated to AI safety initiatives, such as the recently revealed £400 million in funding for a new AI Safety Institute.
An earlier report also saw the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee slate the UK government forfailing to sufficiently protect the creative industryfrom copyright infringements.
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This isn’t the first time that generative AI has come under fire for copyright issues – early on inMicrosoftandOpenAI’s collaboration, GitHub (owned by Microsoft, and using OpenAI LLMs) wassuedover a lack of attribution.
In September 2023, nearly a year after the public had got their hands on generative AI on a wide scale, Microsoftproclaimedthat it would defend its Copilot users from copyright infringement lawsuits, suggesting a high degree of certainty around responsible AI.
OpenAIfollowed suitin November 2023.
As the debate over copyright and AI continues, it’s clear that a balance between technological innovation and the protection of IP rights deserves more attention.
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With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!
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