Using AI tools provides its users with a streamlined process for certain tasks. With just a few text prompts, hours of work can be generated by the technology. However, it now comes with certain risks such as copyright infringement, but it looks like Microsoft plans to swoop in to save the day.
Legal Protection from Microsoft
The software giant has been among the few companies that are staying on top of the game when it comes to AI services. With its partnership with OpenAI, Microsoft has invested in several tools and services such as Bing Chat and GitHub Copilot.
These AI tools could generate text, images, and code through text prompts from the user. The problem is that AI models are under close watch due to the data scraping controversy, which accuses AI companies of using copyrighted data to train artificial intelligence systems.
It's not just the companies who are bound to get in trouble. Those who utilize the products and generate content that may resemble copyrighted work could also be subjected to infringement lawsuits, but Microsoft announced that it will protect said users.
Microsoft claims that customers can use Copilot services without worrying, as the company will "assume responsibility for the potential legal risks involved" when the users are challenged on copyright grounds, as reported by Ars Technica.
Not only will the tech giant provide legal protection, but it will also pay legal damages or settlements for customers who use Copilot, Bing Chat, and other AI products under the company, given that they use the built-in guardrails and content filters.
With the offer, customers will be able to use Microsoft AI products without having to worry about certain consequences. Of course, that won't really matter if the company asks consent for the data it trains the AI model with and doesn't infringe any work at all.
Why Data Scraping is a Concern
AI models will barely be capable of anything if they aren't trained with data created by real people. AI companies claim that they do not use copyrighted data or other intellectual property to do so, but no one can really say for sure if that's the case.
The issue puts a lot of legal consequences to light, especially the ones where the owners of the content are not credited or compensated for the use of their work. Since AI combs the internet in order to train, it's bound to go through copyrighted materials posted through various sites.
For instance, fan fiction writer Kit Loffstadt expressed her concerns over her stories being copied by a data company, which proceeded to feed them into AI technology such as ChatGPT. In response, the writer decided to hide her work behind a locked account.
As mentioned in The New York Times, the writers staged a revolt against AI companies back in July, and it's not just them. The topic has also been brought up in the ongoing writers strike, and other tech giants have joined in the fight against data scraping such as Reddit and X (Twitter).
