Summary of Generative AI and the media sector: Preliminary thoughts on a legal and policy agenda - The Platform Law Blog

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    Introduction to ChatGPT and Generative AI

    Generative AI (or "GenAI") is becoming a major buzzword, with tools like ChatGPT gaining immense popularity in a short period. While exciting, the rise of these tools has also raised concerns, leading to actions like Italy's data protection authority temporarily blocking ChatGPT and discussions in the US Senate and EU institutions about the need for regulation.

    Opportunities for the Media Sector with ChatGPT

    • GenAI tools can improve content production and management, enabling faster and more accurate decision-making.
    • Journalists can use ChatGPT to quickly analyze information and summarize editorial content.
    • Media companies can enhance audience personalization through effective search and recommendation services.
    • Cost reduction and improved monetization capabilities for media organizations.

    Challenges and Concerns with ChatGPT

    • Copyright infringement and difficulties in detecting it.
    • Lack of brand attribution, preventing brand awareness and direct audience relationships.
    • Spread of illegal, harmful, and manipulative content like disinformation and deepfakes.
    • Limited transparency and accountability for GenAI providers.

    Competition and Fairness Concerns with ChatGPT

    The concentration of data and model ownership by large tech companies raises concerns about market concentration and potential anti-competitive practices like tying, self-preferencing, and refusal to grant data access. Competition law and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) may address these issues, but their applicability to GenAI services needs clarification.

    Copyright Infringement and the Text and Data Mining Exception

    The EU's Copyright Directive establishes a text and data mining (TDM) exception, allowing GenAI tools to access copyrighted works for training if the copyright holder hasn't explicitly reserved the right. However, this opt-out system imposes a burden on content creators, and the AI Act's proposal for transparency on copyrighted training data needs further clarification.

    Brand Attribution and the Platform-to-Business Regulation

    The lack of attribution to trusted media sources by ChatGPT prevents brand awareness and direct audience relationships. The Platform-to-Business Regulation addresses brand attribution, but its applicability to GenAI services is unclear.

    Transparency and Accountability: Digital Services Act and AI Act

    • The Digital Services Act (DSA) aims to mitigate the spread of illegal content, but its applicability to GenAI tools is doubtful due to definitional issues.
    • The proposed AI Act seeks to establish rules for transparency and accountability, including specific requirements for foundation models used in GenAI systems like ChatGPT.
    • However, the AI Act's provisions need further clarification on their exact meaning and the obligations they impose on GenAI providers.

    Conclusion

    While ChatGPT and generative AI offer opportunities for the media sector, they also pose significant challenges related to copyright infringement, brand attribution, content moderation, transparency, and accountability. Existing and proposed EU regulations like GDPR, the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, and the AI Act may address some of these issues, but further clarification and revisions are needed to ensure these regulations deliver for the media sector.

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