AI Startup Executive Resigns Amid Dispute Over Use of Copyrighted Works
Ed Newton-Rex, the head of audio at Stability AI, made a dramatic exit from the AI startup this week, following a dispute over the use of copyrighted material to train the company’s AI models.
Newton-Rex opposed Stability’s position that it should be able to train its AI models using copyrighted works for free. This controversy is part of a larger debate over whether tech giants should pay for the copyrighted data needed to train their AI models.
Generative AI models like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion scrape large amounts of information from the internet, including art, song lyrics, and books, to train their models. Artists and creators have argued that these models are being trained using their work without permission and are now being used to replace them. Some have even filed lawsuits against AI companies such as Stability and OpenAI.
Newton-Rex’s resignation, who built an AI music-maker trained using licensed music while at Stability, indicates that those building AI models share the concerns of creators. He called out the exploitation of creators’ works by billion-dollar companies who are training generative AI models without permission.
The US Copyright Office is currently considering new rules for generative AI, with major tech firms expressing disagreement with Newton-Rex’s viewpoint. However, critics of this approach argue that it is not aligned with the principle behind fair use. Despite the technical legality, it is considered morally wrong to train AI models in this manner.
Newton-Rex’s resignation highlights growing dissatisfaction within the generative AI industry, as he urged others with similar doubts to speak out. This development may mark a pivotal moment for AI and signals a shift in attitudes towards the ethical use of copyrighted works within the industry. However, Stability AI has not yet commented on the matter.
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