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AI Rights for Authors: The platform represents a significant step forward for authors aiming to protect their rights in the AI age...

...but its long-term success will hinge on widespread adoption, effective enforcement, and continuous innovation to stay ahead of industry and legal trends.

Author

Pascal Hetzscholdt
January 16, 2025

Asking AI services: Please read the article “AI Rights for Authors: ‘Created by Humans’ Launches” and explain how everything works, why this is good for authors, and whether you see any pros, cons and opportunities not yet mentioned in the article itself.

ChatGPT-4o’s answer:
The article "AI Rights for Authors: ‘Created by Humans’ Launches" outlines the launch of a platform designed to help authors assert control over their intellectual property when it comes to its usage in AI. Here’s a breakdown of how it works, why it benefits authors, and an analysis of potential opportunities and drawbacks:

How the Platform Works

  1. Registration and Licensing:

    • Authors register their copyrighted works on the platform by verifying their identity and claiming their works via ISBN or uploads.

    • They set their preferences for how their content can be licensed for AI training and reference purposes.

  2. Rights Management:

    • Created by Humans offers a proprietary "AI Rights" framework, facilitating authors' control over how their content is used by AI companies.

    • Licensing options currently cover AI model training and reference usage, with plans to expand.

  3. Market Access:

    • Content is bundled and categorized (e.g., genre, bestseller status) to attract buyers such as tech companies, startups, universities, and other entities interested in training AI systems.

  4. Services:

    • The platform manages content curation, licensing agreements, file delivery, and payments, streamlining the process for authors.

  5. Direct and Agent-Facilitated Access:

    • While authors can directly manage their rights, the system also accommodates agents acting on behalf of authors.

Benefits for Authors

  • Control: The platform empowers authors to retain control over their works, ensuring usage aligns with their preferences.

  • Revenue Streams: Licensing their content for AI usage creates new income opportunities for authors.

  • Fair Compensation: By registering with the platform, authors are more likely to receive compensation for AI-related uses that might otherwise occur without permission or payment.

  • Safeguarding Creativity: The initiative aims to protect the value of human creativity in a world increasingly influenced by AI.

Pros, Cons, and Opportunities

Pros:

  1. Empowerment: Authors regain control over their content in the AI ecosystem.

  2. Broad Market Access: By targeting major tech players and a variety of other buyers, the platform opens diverse revenue streams.

  3. Alignment with Industry Leaders: Backing by prominent authors and organizations like the Authors Guild lends credibility.

  4. Streamlined Operations: Managing licensing, payments, and content curation simplifies authors’ workloads.

Cons:

  1. Adoption Challenges: The success of the platform depends heavily on author participation and industry buy-in.

  2. Complexity of Enforcement: Ensuring that unauthorized usage is identified and addressed could be a challenge.

  3. Potential Market Saturation: As similar platforms emerge, competition may dilute the value proposition.

Opportunities:

  1. Expanded Licensing Models:

    • The platform could introduce tiered licenses (e.g., non-commercial educational use, exclusive AI partnerships).

  2. Integration with Copyright Offices:

    • Partnership with copyright registries could enhance trust and broaden adoption.

  3. Educational Outreach:

    • By educating authors on the risks of unlicensed AI usage, Created by Humans could attract more participants.

  4. AI Audit Tools:

    • Development of tools to audit AI models for unlicensed usage could offer an additional service to authors.

The platform represents a significant step forward for authors aiming to protect their rights in the AI age, but its long-term success will hinge on widespread adoption, effective enforcement, and continuous innovation to stay ahead of industry and legal trends.


Grok’s answer:
How Everything Works:

Created by Humans is a platform designed to help authors manage and license their works for use in AI systems:

  • Registration and Verification: Authors create an account, verify their identity, and then claim their works by providing ISBN numbers or uploading copies of their books.

  • Licensing Preferences: Authors can set their preferences for how their works are used in AI, including what rights they are willing to license (e.g., for model training or as reference in Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) models).

  • Content Bundling: The platform organizes content into bundles based on genres, sales positions, etc., which makes it easier for AI companies to license content in bulk.

  • Monetization: The platform manages curation, file delivery, licensing, and payments, ensuring that authors are compensated for the use of their works in AI applications.

Why This is Good for Authors:

  • Control Over AI Rights: Authors maintain direct control over how their intellectual property is used in AI contexts, potentially preventing unauthorized use.

  • Monetary Compensation: It provides a new revenue stream by allowing authors to monetize their works through licensing agreements with AI companies.

  • Protection Against Exploitation: With AI becoming more prevalent, this platform safeguards authors from their works being used without consent or compensation.

  • Simplified Process: Handling licensing through one platform could reduce the complexity and administrative burden for authors or their agents.

Pros:

  • Empowerment: Authors are empowered with tools to negotiate better terms for AI usage of their content.

  • Visibility: Authors might gain more visibility if their works are used in high-profile AI applications or by notable companies.

  • Industry Standard: Could help set a precedent for how AI rights are managed, potentially leading to more standardized practices across the industry.

  • Support from Influential Authors: The involvement of high-profile authors lends credibility and could encourage more authors to participate.

Cons:

  • Early Adoption Risks: Being a new platform, there might be teething issues regarding technology, legal frameworks, or market acceptance.

  • Dependence on AI Market: The success of this model depends heavily on the growth and ethical adoption of AI technologies in publishing.

  • Complexity for Smaller Authors: Authors with fewer resources might find the process of managing these rights complex if not handled through an agent or without sufficient platform support.

  • Potential for Resistance: Some AI developers might resist the additional costs or complexities of licensing, preferring to use freely available or less regulated content.

Opportunities Not Mentioned:

  • Educational Content: There's potential for expanding the platform's offerings to educational AI, where textbooks or course materials could be licensed for AI-driven educational tools.

  • Global Expansion: While the article focuses on US authors, there's a significant opportunity to expand this model globally, adapting to different copyright laws.

  • Niche Markets: Specialization in certain niches or genres could attract specific AI applications, like those in health, science, or historical analysis.

  • Partnerships with Academic Institutions: Universities could partner to use this platform for research, offering a new academic revenue stream for authors.

  • Integration with Blockchain: For added security and transparency, the platform could explore blockchain technology to track and manage rights and payments.

  • AI-Driven Insights: The platform could potentially offer authors insights on how their content performs or is utilized in AI models, providing feedback on market trends or content effectiveness.

This initiative by Created by Humans could significantly alter how authors and publishers interact with AI technologies, offering both protection and new business models, but it also carries the inherent risks of any new tech venture in an evolving market.


Claude’s answer:
Let me break down how Created by Humans works and analyze its implications.

Key Aspects of the Platform:

  1. It's a platform that allows authors to register their copyrighted works within a proprietary "AI Rights framework"

  2. Authors can:

    • Create an account and verify their identity

    • Claim works by ISBN or upload them directly

    • Set their licensing preferences

  3. The platform manages content curation, file delivery, licensing, and payments

  4. It currently offers two types of rights: AI model training and reference via RAG models

  5. Content is bundled by genres, sales positions, and other categories to make it attractive to AI companies

Benefits for Authors:

  1. Direct Control: Authors maintain control over how their work is used in AI systems

  2. Fair Compensation: Creates a revenue stream from AI usage of their work

  3. Institutional Support: Backed by the Authors Guild (14,000 members)

  4. Professional Management: Handles the technical and administrative aspects of AI licensing

  5. Agency Integration: Authors can work through their agents if preferred

Pros Not Explicitly Mentioned in the Article:

  1. Market Power: By bundling content, individual authors gain collective bargaining power they wouldn't have alone

  2. Future-Proofing: Authors can participate in AI development while protecting their interests

  3. Transparency: Creates a clear framework for what is and isn't authorized AI usage

  4. Standards Setting: Could help establish industry norms for AI content licensing

Potential Cons and Challenges Not Mentioned:

  1. Market Dependency: Success relies on AI companies agreeing to license through the platform

  2. Pricing Uncertainty: No mention of how licensing fees will be determined or distributed

  3. Technical Limitations: Unknown how effectively they can track or enforce unauthorized AI usage

  4. Exclusivity Questions: Unclear if authors can participate in other AI licensing programs simultaneously

  5. Coverage Gaps: May not address all types of AI usage or future AI applications

Additional Opportunities:

  1. Educational Partnerships: Could expand to include academic licensing for research

  2. International Expansion: Currently US-focused but could develop global rights management

  3. Rights Marketplace: Could evolve into a broader intellectual property rights trading platform

  4. Analytics Services: Could provide authors with data about how their work is used in AI systems

  5. Creative Collaboration: Could facilitate partnerships between authors and AI developers for innovative projects

The $10 million in funding ($5M seed + $5M pre-seed) and backing from major tech investors suggests significant potential, but success will ultimately depend on widespread adoption by both authors and AI companies.

Would you like me to elaborate on any of these aspects or explore other implications of this platform?


Perplexity’s answer:
The "Created by Humans" platform, launched on January 14, 2025, is a new AI licensing service designed to protect authors' rights in the age of artificial intelligence. Here's how it works and why it's beneficial for authors:

How It Works

  1. Authors register their copyrighted works on the platform.

  2. They set their licensing preferences for AI model training and reference via RAG models.

  3. The platform manages content curation, file delivery, licensing, and payments.

  4. AI companies can browse and license content through the platform's interface.

Benefits for Authors

  1. Control: Authors retain control over how their work is used in AI training.

  2. Fair Compensation: The platform ensures creators are fairly compensated for AI usage of their work.

  3. Protection: It safeguards authors' creativity and intellectual property rights.

  4. Simplicity: The platform offers an intuitive interface for authors to manage their AI rights.

Pros

  1. Industry Support: Backed by the Authors Guild and numerous high-profile authors.

  2. Funding: Secured $5 million in seed funding, indicating strong investor confidence.

  3. Expertise: Founded by experienced entrepreneurs from Scribd.

  4. Flexibility: Plans to add more rights to the framework in the future.

Cons

  1. Dependency on Author Participation: The platform's success relies heavily on widespread author adoption.

  2. Potential Complexity: Managing AI rights might be challenging for some authors, though agent involvement is possible.

Opportunities

  1. Expansion: Potential to include more types of creative works beyond text.

  2. Educational Partnerships: Collaborations with universities for ethical AI training.

  3. Global Reach: Expanding the platform internationally to protect authors worldwide.

  4. AI Development Partnerships: Collaborating with AI companies to create more author-friendly training practices.

This platform represents a significant step in addressing the challenges posed by AI to copyright and intellectual property in the publishing industry.