This TED Talk by Ed Newton-Rex focuses on the ethical and legal issues surrounding the use of copyrighted material in training generative AI models. The speaker argues that the current practice of AI companies training models on unlicensed creative work is unfair, unsustainable, and directly competes with the creators whose work is being used. He highlights the negative impact on artists' income and the shrinking availability of online data due to publishers restricting access. Newton-Rex proposes licensing as a solution, citing examples of companies successfully licensing training data and the existence of a non-profit certifying ethically trained AI models. Ultimately, he advocates for a symbiotic relationship between AI and creative industries built on respect for creators' rights and compensation for their work.
