The intersection of artificial intelligence and media is becoming a bustling junction. From the studios in Hollywood to the avenues of digital media, AI is making its presence felt. But not everyone is rolling out the welcome mat. Industry events suggest a shift in the dynamics of content creation and ownership, with media titans taking a hard look at how AI intersects with their vast amounts of data.
The New York Times Draws A Line: The “Gray Lady,” an endearing moniker for The New York Times Co NYT, earlier in August redrew its boundaries. A change in its Terms of Service made it abundantly clear: AI companies are not welcome to freely sift through its archives.
The NYT's move is more than just a protective measure; it’s a definitive stance that acknowledges the worth of their data. So then the question arises: Where should AI company's gather training data if they're being locked out of the internet’s vast scale of content?
In the absence of clear legislation on the matter, companies such as Alphabet Inc's GOOG GOOGL Google are capitalizing on the situation. They mentioned in a blog post earlier this summer that they’ll continue scraping web data until regulations require them to cease.
But as the Times’ decision underscores, not all doors are open, and some might even be barricaded soon.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Associated Press (AP) decided to dance to the AI tune but with clear ground rules. The partnership between AP and OpenAI aligns to a cautious embrace of the technology’s promise.
While AP acknowledges the benefits of AI — speed, accuracy, and perhaps even innovation — they are far from considering it a surrogate for human judgment. Journalists, in their view, remain the heartbeat of their operations, and AI is an augmentation tool, not a replacement.
But as with any dance, there’s a give and take. AP’s collaboration grants OpenAI access to its vast textual archives. Generative AI, for the AP, is like any other source: it needs vetting, verifying, and ethical considerations.
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Insights And Broader Industry Perspective: For industry stalwart Barry Diller — co-founder of Fox Corp FOX FOXA and current Chairman at IAC Inc IAC — the AI revolution might be in its infancy, but it carries historical weight.
Drawing parallels with revolutions past, Diller acknowledged the challenges that may lie ahead in an interview last month, especially post the initial three-year window of the emerging tech.
He rang alarm bells on the AI industry’s assertion of "fair use," especially when ingesting copyrighted content. For him and many in the publishing world, it is a battle that might require a courtroom prelude that may bring legislation around the tech and how it’s trained.
The ongoing strikes by SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) highlight deeper industry unrest. Beyond fair compensation, there’s an undeniable anxiety about AI’s potential to "perform" without due credits or residuals.
The relationship between the media and AI is evolving, swimming between collaboration and contention. While the potential for a partnership exists, the rules of engagement are still cloudy.
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