In Short:
OpenAI is facing lawsuits from artists and publishers who claim it used their work without permission to train AI algorithms. In response, the company announced a tool called Media Manager that will allow content creators to opt out their work from OpenAI’s AI development. The tool is set to launch in 2025 but questions remain about its operation. Other companies like Adobe and Tumblr also offer opt-out tools for AI projects.
OpenAI Introduces Tool to Address Lawsuits Over Use of Creators’ Work
OpenAI is currently facing legal action from artists, writers, and publishers who claim their work was used without permission to train the algorithms powering AI systems like ChatGPT. In response to these allegations, the company has unveiled a new tool aimed at giving creators more control over how their work is utilized.
Media Manager Tool
OpenAI has announced plans to launch a tool named Media Manager in 2025. This tool will enable content creators to opt out their work from OpenAI’s AI development process. In a recent blog post, the company described Media Manager as a means for creators to specify how they want their works to be used in machine learning research.
Industry Standard
OpenAI stated that it is collaborating with creators, content owners, and regulators to develop Media Manager with the intention of establishing an industry standard. However, specific details on how the tool will function and its operational procedures have not been disclosed.
Unanswered Questions
Key questions remain regarding whether content owners can submit a single request for all their works and if OpenAI will permit requests for models that are already active. Additionally, ongoing research on machine “unlearning” aims to adjust AI systems to remove specific training data contributions, but this method is still under development.
Industry Response
Ed Newton-Rex, CEO of Fairly Trained, expressed optimism about OpenAI’s initiative while highlighting the need for detailed implementation information. He emphasized the importance of whether Media Manager will simply function as an opt-out tool or if it signals a broader shift in OpenAI’s business practices.
Broader Context
Other tech companies, such as Adobe and Tumblr, have implemented opt-out mechanisms for artists and content creators concerned about their work being used for AI projects. Spawning, a startup, launched an opt-out registry called Do Not Train that has garnered preferences for 1.5 billion works.
Jordan Meyer, CEO of Spawning, expressed openness to collaborating with OpenAI on the Media Manager project to streamline universal opt-outs for creators across various AI platforms.
