Sam Altman, Former CEO of OpenAI, discusses his return and the power dynamics within the company. They also talk about the tension between speed and platform choice in reporting and the use of open-source content by companies like OpenAI.
Sam Altman's return as CEO of OpenAI involves significant board changes that impact his control, highlighting the power struggle between the commercial side and the nonprofit board's mission.
The reliance of AI companies like OpenAI on quality content from publishers underscores the need for compensation and licensing agreements to properly compensate publishers for their copyrighted content, paving the way for future discussions and negotiations.
Deep dives
Summary of the OpenAI Saga: A Classic Power Struggle
The recent saga surrounding OpenAI involves a classic power struggle between Sam Altman and the nonprofit board. While it may appear on the surface that Sam Altman gained more power by returning as CEO, there have been significant board changes that impact his control. The tension between the commercial side and the nonprofit board's mission adds complexity to the power dynamic. However, the reliance of AI companies like OpenAI on quality content from publishers highlights the need for compensation and licensing agreements. While discussions and negotiations are ongoing, a long-term sustainable solution is crucial for the industry.
The Importance of Publishers in AI
The News Media Alliance argues that publishers, including Vox Media and The New York Times, play a vital role in the development of generative AI systems like OpenAI. The white paper highlights how AI systems rely on crawled data from publishers' content to generate outputs. This reliance underscores the need for compensation and licensing agreements to properly compensate publishers for their copyrighted content. Publishers assert that their work should not be reproduced or used without permission and without fair compensation. The outcome of these discussions will determine the future relationship between AI companies and publishers.
The Need for Compensation and Licensing Agreements
The News Media Alliance advocates for compensation and licensing agreements to address the infringement of copyrighted content by AI systems. The white paper argues that AI models, such as OpenAI's chat GPT, often lift entire passages from publishers' content without proper permission or attribution. This raises concerns about market harm and the need for fair compensation. The Alliance aims to create a platform for discussions with AI companies to establish ways to compensate publishers for their valuable content. Through licensing agreements, publishers can ensure their work is respected and properly used.
The Legal Landscape and Potential Solutions
The News Media Alliance emphasizes the solid legal copyright protections that exist for publishers' content. They argue that AI systems should not be able to use copyrighted content without proper compensation. Legal battles of the past have shown mixed results for publishers. However, with AI companies relying on quality content and the growing recognition of publishers' value, the Alliance is optimistic about reaching fair compensation agreements. While a one-time payment may be insufficient, ongoing licensing agreements could provide sustainable revenue for publishers and address the market harm caused by unauthorized use of their content.
After a wild series of events, Sam Altman is back as CEO of OpenAI… with more power than ever before. The Verge’s Alex Heath worked sleepless nights covering every twist and turn of this saga. He updates Vox’s Peter Kafka about where we are now, what all of this means moving forward, and how tech journalism can drive someone to mistake alcohol for water.
Then, we continue with artificial intelligence talk as News/Media Alliance President and CEO Danielle Coffey pops in to discuss the journalism industry’s response to having its assets fuel generative models like OpenAI’s.