A committee of peers has called for new rules to govern how tech firms use news content to train AI models describing attempts to tackle the problem to date as ‘tepid and inadequate’.
Addressing the issue of AI and journalistic content in its Future of News report, published on 25 November, the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee described the unauthorised use of news content to train AI models as ‘deeply controversial’ and said that updated legislation is urgently required to ‘align incentives between news providers and AI firms and help them strike mutually beneficial deals’.
The committee’s inquiry into the Future of News, which called for evidence earlier this year, also recommended supporting local media through tax breaks for hiring local journalists; an expanded Local Democracy Reporting Service and additional legislation to tackle Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
Responding to the report Dawn Alford, executive director of the Society of Editors said earlier this week: “Today’s Future of News Report rightly recognises the value of honest, accurate and informative journalism as well as the opportunities and challenges facing our industry.
“We support many of the recommendations made in the report including championing responsible AI through mutually beneficial deals between news platforms and AI firms as well as robust mechanisms to ensure accountability and transparency over how news content is used.
“We are also supportive of proposals to expand the Local Democracy Reporting Service which provides essential scrutiny of local authorities and other democratic institutions as well as the need for urgent legislation to put an end to the ability of the rich and powerful to weaponise legislation to stifle legitimate scrutiny.”
On the subject of AI, the committee called said that while it supported AI development this was ‘not at all costs’.
It added: ‘Previous efforts to mediate between tech firms and creative rightsholders have been tepid and inadequate. The Government must update legislation to align incentives between news providers and AI firms and help them strike mutually beneficial deals. Changes must include a transparency mechanism to let rightsholders check for infringements, much better technical and legal enforceability, and measures to support a new market in responsible AI training data.’
The report can be read in full here.
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