“Content on the open web is free software,” says Microsoft’s AI chief, emphasizing the idea that it’s okay to use content on the web to train AI – Livedoor News

“Content on the open web is free software,” says Microsoft's AI director, emphasizing the idea that there is no problem using content on the web for AI training.

Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of Google-acquired AI startup DeepMind and CEO of Microsoft AI, Microsoft’s AI development division at the time of writing, said that the moment you publish content on the open web, anyone can do so freely. He revealed that he had an idea that it would become “free software” that could be copied and used. Tech media outlet The Verge criticized him for having “a false idea.”

Microsoft's AI chief thinks it's perfectly acceptable to steal content if it's on the open web – The Verge

https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/28/24188391/microsoft-ai-suleyman-social-contract-freeware

At the Aspen Ideas Festival, which has been running since June 23, 2024, a panel discussion was held in which journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin and CEO Suleiman spoke about the future of artificial intelligence.

During the panel event, Mr. Sorkin noted that “AI companies are effectively stealing the world’s intellectual property,” to which CEO Suleiman responded: “Since the 1990s, there has been a social contract for content I think that was that it was fair use: anyone could Copy, recreate or reproduce it, meaning it's “free software” “It's understood that way,” he said, expressing his thoughts on content on the open web.

Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman: The social contract for content on the open web is that it is “free software” to train AI models pic.twitter.com/FN1xrqnJC0 — Tsarathustra (@tsarnick) June 26, 2024

Microsoft is being sued by newspaper companies, writers and others for “stealing copyrighted online content to train AI models” along with OpenAI, with which it has a long-standing partnership.

OpenAI and Microsoft Sued by Author for Copyright Infringement on AI – GIGAZINE

Microsoft and OpenAI Sued by 8 Journalism Firms for Copyright Infringement – GIGAZINE

So, The Verge pointed out that it may not be surprising that the head of Microsoft's AI department would make such a statement, but I did not expect him to show the wrong idea so openly. Furthermore, “in the United States, a work is automatically protected by copyright the moment it is created, so there is no need to apply elsewhere for copyright, and the copyright is revoked as soon as it is posted on the Web.” “It is very difficult to assign copyright, so lawyers have had to come up with special web licenses.”

In addition, “fair use is not recognized by a social contract, but by a court, after determining ‘what content is being copied, why, how much, and whether it will cause harm to the copyright holder. ’ It is a legal defense that allows some copyrighted material to be used,” he said, noting that the idea of ​​fair use put forward by CEO Suleiman is wrong.

“Many AI companies claim that this falls under fair use when using copyrighted content for training. However, no company has made such a bold claim as CEO Suleiman, and nothing else like it.”

You can watch the full interview between Mr. Sorkin and CEO Suleiman in the video below.

Microsoft AI CEO talks about the future of AI at Aspen Ideas Festival – YouTube