The AP ChatGPT Deal in a Nutshell
OpenAI, the AI powerhouse, and AP, the news giant, have decided to join forces. The deal involves OpenAI licensing AP’s text archive, while AP gets to tap into OpenAI’s tech prowess. The financial specifics? Well, they’re keeping that under wraps.
The AI Hunger for Data
To make their AI systems smarter, tech companies like OpenAI have to feed them a steady diet of written content. This includes everything from books and news articles to the endless chatter on social media. The launch of ChatGPT last year has led to a surge in generative AI products, which can whip up new text, images, and other media.
But these tools aren’t without their issues. They’ve been known to spew out inaccuracies that are hard to spot due to their impressive grasp of human language. This has led to questions about how news organizations and others should be compensated for their work used to train these AI models.
The Copyright Conundrum
News organizations and book authors are seeking compensation for their works being used to train AI systems. Over 4,000 writers, including big names like Nora Roberts and Margaret Atwood, have signed a letter accusing AI developers of exploitative practices. They claim that chatbots are mimicking and regurgitating their language, style, and ideas. Some have even sued OpenAI for copyright infringement.
The Value of Intellectual Property
AP has expressed its satisfaction with OpenAI’s recognition of the importance of fact-based, nonpartisan news content. They appreciate OpenAI’s respect for their intellectual property and support a framework that ensures content creators are fairly compensated for their work.
The Future of AI in News
OpenAI and AP are exploring potential use cases for generative AI in news products and services. They haven’t given any specifics yet, but both organizations are committed to the responsible creation and use of AI systems. OpenAI will have access to AP news stories dating back to 1985.
The Strategic Move
The deal is a strategic move for OpenAI. It gives them a wealth of material for training purposes and is a safeguard against losing access to material due to lawsuits. As Nick Diakopoulos, a professor at Northwestern University, puts it, “In order to guard against how the courts may decide, maybe you want to go out and sign licensing deals so you’re guaranteed legal access to the material you’ll need.”
The Potential Impact
The effects of this deal could ripple out beyond AP due to its size and deep connections with other news outlets. When AP decided to make its content free on the internet in the 90s, many newspaper companies followed suit. Navigating the new AI-driven landscape presents similar risks.
The news industry is struggling, but AP is in a stable position. It has the clout to make deals like this and can work with local publishers to assess both the potential and the risk.
