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OpenAI and Google Ask for Government Exemption to Train AI Models on Copyrighted Material
In a move that has sparked controversy in the intellectual property community, OpenAI and Google have jointly called upon the Trump administration to grant them an exemption to train their artificial intelligence (AI) models on copyrighted material. The tech giants argue that such an exemption is necessary to ensure the continued development of AI systems, which they claim will be impossible without access to this type of content.
In a submission to President Trump’s AI Action Plan, OpenAI emphasized the importance of preserving America’s position as a leader in AI innovation and national security by allowing its AI models to learn from copyrighted material. The company also recommended that the US maintain tight export controls on AI chips to China, citing concerns over intellectual property theft.
Google echoed similar sentiments, stating that balanced copyright rules, including fair use and text-and-data mining exceptions, are crucial for enabling AI systems to learn from prior knowledge and publicly available data, thereby unlocking scientific and social advances. The search giant also expressed the need for predictable, imbalanced, and lengthy negotiations with data holders during model development or experimentation.
These statements come on the heels of OpenAI’s own claims that it is impossible to train today’s leading AI models without using copyrighted materials. However, this assertion has been disputed by some experts who argue that alternative sources can be used to train AI systems.
OpenAI is currently facing numerous lawsuits accusing it of copyright infringement, including cases involving The New York Times and a group of authors led by George R.R. Martin and Jonathan Franzen. It’s worth noting that the company has recently accused Chinese AI startups of attempting to copy its technologies.
The joint request from OpenAI and Google underscores the pressing need for policymakers to balance the interests of intellectual property holders with those of innovators seeking to advance AI technology.
