US bill demands AI companies disclose training data
A new legislative proposal, the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act, has been introduced by Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA). The proposed law aims to mandate technology firms to disclose any copyrighted materials used in training their artificial intelligence (AI) models. The legislation requires creators of AI training datasets to submit comprehensive reports on the dataset's content to the Copyrights Register.
Reports should be submitted a month before AI model's launch
Under the proposed Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act, the reports provided by the creators should include a detailed summary of copyrighted material used and a link to the dataset if it is publicly accessible. The legislation stipulates that these reports should be submitted to the Copyrights Register "not later than 30 days" before an AI model using the training dataset is rolled out to the public.
Legislation aims to protect copyrighted material
The proposed law is designed to address concerns raised by authors, artists, and other creators about their copyrighted material being used without permission in AI model training. Also, developers often struggle to identify which data is copyrighted due to the vast amount of information. The legislation won't apply to existing AI platforms unless changes are made to their training datasets after the law comes into effect.
Balancing technological progress with ethical guidelines
Schiff emphasized the need for a balance between technological advancement and ethical considerations. He stated, "We must balance the immense potential of AI with the crucial need for ethical guidelines and protections." Schiff further highlighted that his proposed act is a significant step toward achieving this balance, championing innovation while safeguarding creators' rights and contributions.
Industry groups express support for proposed legislation
Several industry groups, including the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Writers Guild of America (WGA), Directors Guild of America (DGA), Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), and the Authors Guild have expressed support for the proposed legislation. However, the Motion Picture Association (MPA), an organization known for advocating measures to safeguard copyrighted content against piracy, is notably absent from the list of supporters.
