AI’s influence on journalism has become a pressing concern, as experts emphasized during a hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law. They highlighted how AI, particularly when employed by big tech companies, is contributing to the decline of journalism and the threat of misinformation.
One key issue raised was the unauthorized use of journalists’ work to train AI models without providing compensation or credit. Senator Richard Blumenthal pointed out that this practice by companies like Meta, Google, and OpenAI not only harms the journalistic institutions that create the content but also exacerbates the decline of local news. The decline of local news has been a well-documented consequence of the rise of digital platforms, with the US losing almost a third of its newspapers and two-thirds of its newspaper journalists since 2005.
In response to these challenges, countries like Canada and Australia have passed laws requiring tech companies to pay news outlets for content featured on their platforms. In the US, similar legislation has been proposed. Danielle Coffey, president and CEO of the News Media Alliance, argued that the growing influence of generative AI systems, which require vast amounts of data, will further exacerbate the already imbalanced marketplace.
Copyright battles have also emerged as a significant concern. While some AI developers have entered partnerships with news organizations, enabling access to content in exchange for use of AI models, disputes have arisen with other outlets. The New York Times filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming that OpenAI’s models were trained on their content and led to a competing product. Other creators, such as comedian Sarah Silverman and authors Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey, have also taken legal action against AI developers for unauthorized use of their work.
Furthermore, the rise of AI-generated misinformation has raised alarm bells in the industry. Roger Lynch, CEO of Condé Nast, emphasized the importance of congressional intervention to ensure developers compensate publishers for their content and curb the spread of misinformation. Curtis LeGeyt, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, cautioned against premature legislation, suggesting that existing copyright protections should be sufficient.
The growing impact of AI on journalism warrants attention and thoughtful regulation. Balancing the need for innovation with the protection of intellectual property rights and the prevention of misinformation will be critical in charting a path forward for AI and the future of journalism.
The source of the article is from the blog zaman.co.at