AI firms are buying unused YouTube footage to train LLMs
What's the story
Artificial intelligence (AI) companies are buying exclusive, unused video content from YouTubers and other digital creators. The deals often pay off handsomely for the creators, sometimes even running into thousands of Dollars per deal. Industry giants such as OpenAI, Google's parent company Alphabet Inc, and AI media firm Moonvalley are some of those buying access to these unpublished videos, according to Bloomberg.
Unique content
The value of unique content in AI training
It is the unique nature of these unpublished videos, which are not available anywhere else on the internet, that makes them particularly valuable for training AI systems. Insiders familiar with the deals told Bloomberg that AI companies are willing to pay between $1 and $4 per minute of footage, with prices going up for videos shot in high-quality resolutions like 4K. This trend highlights the growing demand for original content in the field of AI development.
Data diversity
Companies' need for diverse data
AI companies need a wide variety of data to train their algorithms. This includes not just text and numbers, but also images and videos. Buying unused footage from content creators gives these firms a rich source of visual data that can be leveraged to improve the performance and capabilities of their AI systems.
Privacy issues
AI training and privacy concerns
The use of unpublished videos for AI training also tackles potential privacy concerns. As these videos haven't been shared publicly, they are less likely to contain sensitive information or violate user privacy. This way, AI companies can access a wide variety of content without compromising on ethical considerations related to data use and protection.
Information
How it benefits creators?
Content creators film hundreds of hours of video annually for platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. However, much of this footage never gets posted, leaving creators without monetization. By selling this unused content to AI companies, creators can diversify their income beyond brand advertising deals.