Wikimedia Foundation Intervenes in AI Copyright Lawsuits
The Wikimedia Foundation has submitted a brief in ongoing lawsuits regarding the use of copyrighted data in training AI models, arguing for a balance between fair use and licensing requirements.
The Wikimedia Foundation has intervened in AI copyright lawsuits involving parties such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and The New York Times by filing an 'amicus brief' with the court.
The Foundation argues that scraping internet data for the purpose of training large language models (LLMs) should be considered 'fair use,' provided that the models produce transformative content. However, the organization warned that if AI systems directly copy copyrighted content and replace the original source, a licensing requirement should be imposed.
Wikimedia Foundation General Counsel Stephen LaPorte and CEO Bernadette Meehan stated that the court's decision will be critical for the future of open and accessible information. While the Foundation acknowledges that AI tools are useful in areas such as combating vandalism on Wikipedia, it emphasized that current practices threaten the sustainability of free knowledge by diverting traffic and ignoring Creative Commons licensing requirements.
Sources
- theverge.com · Link