Getty's CEO Slams AI Training as 'Theft'

The Story: Getty Images CEO Craig Peters has boldly declared AI companies’ practice of scraping photos and other content from the web as "pure theft". In an opinion piece for Fortune, Peters underscores the need for fair use rules in AI training to protect the livelihoods of artists and creators, emphasizing that copyright violations cannot be justified in the name of technological advancement.

The Details:

• Peters highlights that Getty Images is involved in legal action against Stability AI, which allegedly used millions of their images without permission to train the Stable Diffusion model.

• He articulates the fair use criteria, arguing that current AI practices breach these by exploiting creators' works without consent for commercial gain.

• Over 30,000 artists have rallied against the unauthorized use of their content for AI training, calling it a major threat to their livelihood.

• Peters stresses that without respecting creators' rights, the future of creative work could diminish, leading to less innovation and fewer supports for artists.

• He draws parallels between the current AI landscape and the early days of file-sharing services, advocating for permissioned AI models to flourish.

Why It Matters: Peters' statements resonate deeply within the creative community as they grapple with the implications of AI on their work. By framing the unauthorized scraping of content as theft, he advocates for a world where artists are compensated for their creations, ensuring sustainability in the creative economy. As legal battles unfold, the outcome will potentially establish crucial precedents for the AI industry, making it essential for creators to stay engaged and informed about these developments to protect their rights in an evolving digital landscape.