Dive into the intriguing world where literature meets AI! A best-selling author discovers ChatGPT’s surprising knowledge of his books, igniting a debate on copyright issues. Legal battles loom as writers like George R.R. Martin challenge OpenAI over the use of their works for AI training. Ethical concerns and the implications of tech companies’ rapid evolution are explored, revealing the complexities of copyright law. From literary mimicry to digital age dilemmas, this discussion sheds light on the balance between creativity and intellectual property.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
ChatGPT's Knowledge of Preston's Books
Douglas Preston, a thriller writer, experimented with ChatGPT and found it had detailed knowledge of his books.
It summarized plots and described minor characters, suggesting ingestion of his copyrighted material.
question_answer ANECDOTE
AI-Generated Game of Thrones Book
Author George R.R. Martin was upset that someone used ChatGPT to write a final Game of Thrones book.
It used his characters, settings, and even writing style, raising concerns about AI's use of copyrighted material.
insights INSIGHT
Google Books and Fair Use
Google Books case established a precedent regarding fair use of copyrighted material.
Google scanned millions of copyrighted books without permission, leading to a lawsuit over fair use.
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Relic is a horror and techno-thriller novel that follows a series of gruesome murders at the New York Museum of Natural History. The story revolves around a creature known as the 'Museum Beast,' which is linked to an Amazonian expedition. As the death toll rises, characters like Margo Green and FBI Special Agent Pendergast must unravel the mystery before it's too late. The novel explores themes of genetic manipulation and critiques the role of museums in society.
My Sister's Keeper
Jodi Picoult
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult tells the story of the Fitzgerald family, whose lives revolve around Kate, diagnosed with leukemia. The novel explores complex ethical issues as Kate's younger sister, Anna, sues their parents for medical emancipation to avoid donating a kidney. The book delves into themes of family dynamics, love, sacrifice, and individual autonomy. It raises profound questions about the lengths we go to for our loved ones and the ethical boundaries we are willing to cross.
Lincoln in the Bardo
Yannick Garcia Porres
George Saunders
Javier Calvo Perales
The novel is set in 1862 during the American Civil War and revolves around the death of Willie Lincoln, the 11-year-old son of President Abraham Lincoln. After Willie's death from typhoid fever, his spirit finds itself in a limbo known as the bardo, a concept borrowed from Tibetan Buddhism. Here, he encounters a diverse group of ghosts who are also trapped between the world of the living and the afterlife. The story delves into themes of grief, both personal and national, as Lincoln grapples with the loss of his son amidst the broader context of the Civil War. The novel is characterized by its unique narrative style, which includes a multitude of voices and historical quotes, and its exploration of the human experience of suffering and love[1][2][4].
A Song of Ice and Fire
George R.R. Martin
A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of high fantasy novels that takes place in a fictional world where seasons last for years. The story is set primarily in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and follows multiple plotlines, including a civil war for the Iron Throne among several competing families, the threat of the supernatural Others beyond the Wall, and the rise of dragons in the east. The series is known for its complex characters, intricate plots, and detailed world-building, drawing comparisons to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings[2][4][5].
The Corrections
Jonathan Franzen
When best-selling thriller writer Douglas Preston began playing around with OpenAI's new chatbot, ChatGPT, he was, at first, impressed. But then he realized how much in-depth knowledge GPT had of the books he had written. When prompted, it supplied detailed plot summaries and descriptions of even minor characters. He was convinced it could only pull that off if it had read his books.
Large language models, the kind of artificial intelligence underlying programs like ChatGPT, do not come into the world fully formed. They first have to be trained on incredibly large amounts of text. Douglas Preston, and 16 other authors, including George R.R. Martin, Jodi Piccoult, and Jonathan Franzen, were convinced that their novels had been used to train GPT without their permission. So, in September, they sued OpenAI for copyright infringement.
This sort of thing seems to be happening a lot lately–one giant tech company or another "moves fast and breaks things," exploring the edges of what might or might not be allowed without first asking permission. On today's show, we try to make sense of what OpenAI allegedly did by training its AI on massive amounts of copyrighted material. Was that good? Was it bad? Was it legal?
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