Big Tech Starts Campaign to Advocate AI Use in Creative Industries
The Chamber of Progress, including members like Amazon and Apple, introduces a campaign to advocate for the fair use of copyrighted material in training AI.
The Chamber of Progress, a coalition including tech giants such as Amazon, Apple, and Meta, has launched a new campaign titled “Generate and Create.” This initiative, unveiled last Thursday, seeks to assert the legal footing of using copyrighted material to train artificial intelligence (AI) systems under the banner of fair use. According to the coalition, the campaign aims to demonstrate how generative AI can amplify artists’ creative capacities and reduce barriers to art production, emphasizing AI’s role in broadening the creative landscape.
At the heart of this initiative is the complex legal debate surrounding the use of copyrighted works in AI training datasets, a matter poised for judicial review absent Congressional intervention. The principle of fair use, which allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission if the new work is transformative, is a central theme of the campaign.
Adam Kovacevich, CEO of Chamber of Progress and a former Google executive, highlighted the campaign’s alignment with historical creative practices. “All art has responded to what’s come before,” Kovacevich remarked, drawing parallels between traditional artistic inspiration and the functionalities of generative AI. He added that fair use has consistently supported creative inspiration, underscoring its importance in the evolution of art.
Amidst these discussions, the Chamber of Progress also faces contemporary legal challenges. For instance, Midjourney, one of the AI tools employed in the campaign, is currently entangled in a class action lawsuit with artists claiming copyright infringement, a scenario that underscores the contentious nature of AI’s role in creative industries.
The Chamber of Progress has taken proactive steps by engaging with legislative bodies. In its submissions to the Copyright Office, which is examining the policy intersections between intellectual property and AI, the coalition argued for expanding Section 230 – this legal framework, cherished by many in the tech industry, could potentially provide a broader shield for AI companies against certain infringement claims, especially in scenarios involving diverse and large-scale training datasets.
The agency has also expressed opposition to state-level legislation such as Tennessee's ELVIS Act, which aims to protect musicians from unauthorized AI-driven replication of their voices, suggesting that the legal and ethical implications of AI in creative realms continue to evoke diverse opinions.
In line with its advocacy, Chamber of Progress plans to recruit a director of AI, creativity, and copyright policy to spearhead these efforts. Kovacevich remains optimistic about the potential of generative AI, viewing it as a transformative tool that “expands access to creative tools” and challenges traditional barriers within the artistic community.