Dutch publisher VBK, acquired earlier this year by Simon & Schuster, will test out AI translation of their books into English, the Bookseller reports. According to the Bookseller, a small number of books are being translated, and only in cases when the English rights haven’t been sold. A VBK spokesperson said, “We are working on a limited experiment with some Dutch authors, for their books to be translated into English language using AI. There will be one editing phase, and authors have been asked to give permission for this. “We are not creating books with AI, it all starts and […]
AI
Former OpenAI Staffer Claims AI Training Is Not Fair Use
A former researcher at OpenAI has spoken out against the company’s use of copyrighted data in a detailed, publicly posted analysis, reported on further by the NYT (which is suing OpenAI for copyright infringement). Suchir Balaji left OpenAI in protest “because he no longer wanted to contribute to technologies that he believed would bring society more harm than benefit.” Early versions of the company’s technology were treated as research projects, which meant employees felt free to train them on any data without worrying about permissions and usage, Balaji told the Times. But as ChatGPT-4 became a commercial product, OpenAI failed […]
Thousands of Creators Protest Theft of Their Work By AI Companies
While awaiting the slow gears of litigation and legislation, over 10,000 creators and organizational partners from around the world have signed on to a simple statement of protest, declaring: “The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted.” Among the supporting organizations is the Association of American Publishers (AAP). CEO Maria Pallante said in a press release, “What is true is that creators operate in service to a well-read, informed, and inspired global public, not the unsanctioned, unregulated profits of […]
Panelists Urge Rights Holders to License Content for AI
In one of the final industry events of the fair, a panel titled Let Licensing Bloom: The Root of Responsible AI, hosted by the Copyright Clearance Center, panelists discussed their concerns about AI technology and the value of licensing content in order to protect it. They acknowledged several issues about the technology, including the fears that courts will rule in favor of tech companies on their use of copyrighted content, the speed with which tech companies are moving, and the need for transparency about what data LLMs are trained on. Still, they agreed that licensing cannot be ignored. EVP, global […]
New Ventures and a Return to Normal at FBF Day 2
The Frankfurt Book Festival continued on Thursday, seeming like business as usual after years of change. Attendees said that the crowds seemed back up to pre-pandemic levels, and security was back down after being heightened last year in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks. While some international publishers said they have been busy making deals throughout the fair, several others said that the bulk of their dealmaking happens throughout the year. For them, the fair serves more as an opportunity to catch up with colleagues and friends in person, which they maintain is just as valuable. A conversation with […]
Authors Guild to Promote Created by Humans
The Authors Guild and start-up AI rights licensing platform Created by Humans announced a partnership in which the Guild will promote the new service and “help us make decisions about how to best serve the author community through our platform.” AG ceo Mary Rasenberger will serve on Created by Humans’ advisory board, and the two organizations will “develop informational materials and webinars that clearly explain the terms of licenses and the fees” to authors. The Authors Guild adds that it “aims to ensure that terms are transparent to authors and that their interests are protected.” As we reported in June, […]