Headlines

Microsoft deletes blog telling users to train AI on pirated Harry Potter books

Following backlash in a Hacker News thread, Microsoft deleted a blog post that critics said encouraged developers to pirate Harry Potter books to train AI models that could then be used to create AI slop. The blog was written in November 2024 by a senior product manager, Pooja Kamath. According to her LinkedIn, Kamath has been at Microsoft for more than a decade and remains with the company. In 2024, Microsoft tapped her to promote a new feature that the blog said made it easier to “add generative AI features to your own applications.

Source: Microsoft deletes blog telling users to train AI on pirated Harry Potter books

These Tools Say They Can Spot A.I. Fakes. Do They Really Work?

More than a dozen online tools claim they can tell the difference between what’s real and what’s A.I. by looking for hidden watermarks, composition errors and other digital clues. The reality is more mixed, according to a battery of tests conducted by The New York Times. While many tools did a good job detecting some A.I. content, they were not accurate enough to offer users complete confidence.

Source: These Tools Say They Can Spot A.I. Fakes. Do They Really Work?

Music startup Mogul raises $5M; says it has tracked $1.5B+ in royalties for artists to date

Mogul, a music startup that lets artists and managers track and identify missing royalties, has raised $5 million in a funding round led by the Yamaha Music Innovations Fund. Other investors include the Urban Innovation Fund, as well as Mindset Ventures and EU-based Fairway Capital Partners. Amplify LA and Wonder Ventures have also renewed their commitment. According to Mogul, the new funding will be used to expand its ability to serve “artists, managers, and business managers of all kinds”.

Source: Mogul claims to have tracked more than $1.5 billion in royalties for artists since launching in early 2024.

YouTuber sues Runway AI in latest copyright class action over AI training

Artificial intelligence video startup Runway AI has been hit with a proposed class action lawsuit in California federal court for allegedly misusing YouTube content to train its video generation platform. YouTube creator David Gardner said in the complaint, opens new tab, filed in Los Angeles on Monday, that Runway bypassed YouTube’s copyright protections to illegally download user videos for its AI training.

Source: YouTuber sues Runway AI in latest copyright class action over AI training

AIs can generate near-verbatim copies of novels from training data

The world’s top AI models can be prompted to generate near-verbatim copies of bestselling novels, raising fresh questions about the industry’s claim that its systems do not store copyrighted works. A series of recent studies has shown that large language models from OpenAI, Google, Meta, Anthropic, and xAI memorize far more of their training data than previously thought.

Source: AIs can generate near-verbatim copies of novels from training data

‘Melania’ Producer on the Tricky Politics of Licensing Stones or Prince Songs

When a dispute arose over orchestral music appearing in the new Melania Trump documentary, “Melania,” aficionados of music, film and politics all stood to pay attention. The subject of licensing music rights is fascinating and thorny enough in its own right. Add to that a member of Radiohead, Jonny Greenwood, and one of today’s top film directors, Paul Thomas Anderson, seeming to have a beef with the nation’s First Couple, and naturally it made headlines.

Source: ‘Melania’ Producer Marc Beckman on the Jonny Greenwood Dispute, the Tricky Politics of Licensing Stones or Prince Songs, and the First Lady’s Forthcoming Docuseries: ‘I Think Amazon MGM Got a Very Good Deal’

Netflix, Prime Video and Other Streamers in U.K. Will Be Subject to ‘Enhanced Regulation’ 

Streaming platforms in the U.K. are set to come under “enhanced regulation” from media regulator Ofcom, which already oversees television and radio broadcasting in the country. The rules will give Ofcom the power to accept viewer complaints and investigate streaming platforms. The U.K. government is set to implement another layer of legislation to the Media Act 2024 to bring video on demand services in the U.K. under Ofcom’s eye.

Source: Netflix, Prime Video and Other Streamers in U.K. Will Be Subject to ‘Enhanced Regulation’ and Ofcom Investigations Following New Legislation

Artist representatives launch ‘Say No To Suno’ campaign

In an open letter titled ‘Say No to Suno’, the artist reps described the company as a “brazen smash and grab” platform, accusing it of using “unauthorized AI platform machinery trained on human artists’ work”. Published Monday (February 23) on the Music Technology Policy blog, the letter was signed by figures including Ron Gubitz, Executive Director of the Music Artist Coalition; and Helienne Lindvall, songwriter and President of the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance.

Source: Artist representatives launch ‘Say No To Suno’ campaign: ‘AI slop dilutes the royalty pools of legitimate artists from whose music this slop is derived.’

Industry blasts big tech’s ‘untrue’ copyright investment threats

The Australian government should ignore claims from artificial intelligence giants that local copyright laws prevent them from investing heavily in data centers, say media and entertainment industry leaders. “Where is the proof that issuing a copyright exemption or law change would bring massive economic benefit to Australians and not just major US tech companies?” said head of the Australian Recording Industry Association, Annabelle Herd.

Source: Industry blasts big tech’s ‘untrue’ copyright investment threats

Lawyers Warn of a Decade of Uncertainty over AI Copyright

“It’s entirely possible that in two years we’ll have clarity that’s probably good enough in terms of a set of best practices,” estimated Jessica Litman. But she warned it could be longer, “because these cases are so huge, they are happening in dribs and drabs… so it can take a while to establish a trend.” She said it could be as many as 10 more years until these lawsuits are resolved.

Source: Lawyers Warn of a Decade of Uncertainty over AI Copyright

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