OpenAI faces a mix of partnerships and legal challenges that could shape the future of the industry. This month OpenAI announced a content licensing partnership with the Financial Times. This collaboration, along with previous deals struck with prominent media outlets such as Axel Springer, Le Monde, and Prisa, demonstrates a willingness to work hand-in-hand with content creators to ensure the ethical and legal use of their intellectual property.
However, not all companies have taken the collaborative route. In the same week as the Financial Times deal, a group of eight US newspapers filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging copyright infringement in relation to the company's AI training practices. This legal action follows in the footsteps of previous lawsuits brought by The New York Times, The Intercept, Raw Story, and AlterNet, highlighting the growing concern over the unauthorised use of copyrighted material in AI development.
If the litigation-focused camp prevails, it may lead to a scenario where large language models (LLMs) become increasingly outdated and less useful due to restricted access to training data. This could potentially hinder the progress of general-purpose LLMs, while more specialised models with access to the correct training data may continue to thrive.
On the other hand, if the collaborative approach gains momentum, it could open up a substantial revenue stream for OpenAI and its peers. However, this raises concerns about the concentration of power and potential bias in AI development, as the LLMs backed by the wealthiest companies may come to dominate the field.
The legal battles surrounding AI and copyright are still in their early stages, and the long-term effects of collaboration agreements have yet to be seen. Everyone working towards solutions that balance innovation with the protection of intellectual property rights would be the Panacea.