Silicon Valley is at the centre of a new storm. The explosion of interest in generative artificial intelligence has opened a conflict over copyright: these systems feed on enormous quantities of data gathered from the web: books, research, artworks, music. And that raises legal and ethical questions that are far from settled.
Earlier this year a British company was sued by three artists for copyright infringement: the claim alleged it had used more than five billion protected images without permission or payment.
In the middle of this dispute one can imagine a different approach. What if artists were to encrypt their own works, to stop AI systems harvesting them automatically?
Today almost every work is published online without any substantial protection, which makes it an extremely easy target. A revolution led by creators, with encryption tools that are widespread and within everyone's reach, would change the balance of power in the digital world. It would compel the large technology companies to ask permission, and in all likelihood to pay for the use of protected work.
It requires broad awareness and coordination among artists, with support from those who make the rules. Difficulties notwithstanding, it is a promising vision for a new era of digital rights management: one in which creative control and the advance of artificial intelligence can coexist.
Originally published on LinkedIn. Reviewed by the author.