HarperCollins Asks Authors: License to AI?

HarperCollins has struck a controversial deal with an unnamed AI technology firm, permitting the limited use of select nonfiction backlist titles for training AI models.

Author

Jonas Ngoenha
November 19, 2024 • Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Story: HarperCollins has struck a controversial deal with an unnamed AI technology firm, permitting the limited use of select nonfiction backlist titles for training AI models. Authors can opt-in or decline this agreement. While the deal is painted as an opportunity, the backlash reveals the deep concerns over the rights of creators and the future of publishing in the AI age.

Here is the full statement given to 404 Media:

HarperCollins has reached an agreement with an artificial intelligence technology company to allow limited use of select nonfiction backlist titles for training AI models to improve model quality and performance. While we believe this deal is attractive, we respect the various views of our authors, and they have the choice to opt in to the agreement or to pass on the opportunity.

HarperCollins has a long history of innovation and experimentation with new business models. Part of our role is to present authors with opportunities for their consideration while simultaneously protecting the underlying value of their works and our shared revenue and royalty streams. This agreement, with its limited scope and clear guardrails around model output that respects author’s rights, does that.

The Details:

  • The agreement allows a limited number of nonfiction titles to be used for AI model training, aiming to improve output quality and performance.

  • Authors are offered a non-negotiable payment of $2,500 per title for participation in the program, potentially underpricing their work.

  • Criticism has emerged from the author community, highlighting concerns about the ethical implications and impact of AI on authors' livelihoods and creation.

  • Author Daniel Kibblesmith publicly shared his experience with the offer during a heated social discussion, calling it "abominable."

  • HarperCollins emphasizes that its long-standing commitment to innovation includes the preservation of author rights, despite rising discontent.

Why It Matters: This deal indicates a significant pivot in the publishing landscape, pitting technological advancement against creator rights. As AI integration becomes more common, the debate intensifies around compensation and the potential obsolescence of creative professions. For photographers, filmmakers, and artists, this situation ignites urgent reflections on how new technologies can respect and enhance human creativity instead of undermining it. The outcomes of such decisions will shape not only author rights but may also ripple across all creative fields.

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