DOJ antitrust chief warns AI companies to play fair with artists
At a Stanford University conference attended by AI researchers, executives, and government officials, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter warned:
If firms in the AI ecosystem violate the antitrust laws, the antitrust division will have something to say about that.
The conference focused on the economic impact of generative AI systems such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini and the potential application of antitrust laws. Alongside other areas of concern, Kanter highlighted compensation for creators:
What incentive will tomorrow’s writers, creators, journalists, thinkers and artists have if AI has the ability to extract their ingenuity without appropriate compensation? The people who create and produce these inputs must be properly compensated.
And it’s not just Scarlett Johansson! AI companies like OpenAI and Microsoft are getting slammed with lawsuits left and right. Authors, The New York Times (and other news outlets) are suing them for how they train their AI models – basically, by using creative works without permission. Hollywood and the entertainment industry, as a whole, have been fighting over AI for quite a while now, too.
The Justice Department isn’t saying it is taking action right away, but Kanter did say they are keeping a close eye on what is happening in the AI industry.
Appointed by President Biden, Kanter has taken a strong stance against anti-competitive practices, particularly in the tech industry. The Justice Department has already filed lawsuits against tech giants like Apple and Google.
