Latest news with #EdNewton-Rex
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SoundCloud changes policies to allow AI training on user content
SoundCloud appears to have quietly changed its terms of use to allow the company to train AI on audio that users upload to its platform. As spotted by tech ethicist Ed Newton-Rex, the latest version of SoundCloud's terms include a provision giving the platform permission to use uploaded content to "inform, train, [or] develop" AI. "You explicitly agree that your Content may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services as part of and for providing the services," read the terms, which were last updated February 7. The terms have a carve out for content under "separate agreements" with third-party rightsholders, such as record labels. SoundCloud has a number of licensing agreements with indie labels as well as major music publishers, including Universal Music and Warner Music Group. TechCrunch wasn't able to find an explicit opt-out option in the platform's settings menu on the web. SoundCloud didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. SoundCloud, like many large creator platforms, is increasingly embracing AI. Last year, SoundCloud partnered with nearly a dozen vendors to bring AI-powered tools for remixing, generating vocals, and creating custom samples to its platform. In a blog post last fall, SoundCloud said that these partners would receive access to content ID solutions to "ensure rights holders [sic] receive proper credit and compensation," and it pledged to "uphold ethical and transparent AI practices that respect creators' rights." A number of content hosting and social media platforms have changed their policies in recent months to allow for first- and third-party AI training. In October, Elon Musk's X updated its privacy policy to let outside companies train AI on user posts. Last September, LinkedIn amended its terms to allow it to scrape user data for training. And in December, YouTube began letting third parties train AI on user clips. Many of these moves have prompted backlash from users who argue that AI training policies should be opt-in as opposed to opt-out, and who argue that they should be credited and paid for their contributions to AI training datasets. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data
The Independent
25-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
UK creative industries launch campaign against AI tech firms' content use
The UK 's creative industries have launched a new campaign to fight back against their content being used for free by global tech AI firms. Campaigners have warned that the arts face an 'existential threat' from AI models which scrape creative content from the internet without permission or payment. It comes at the end of a government consultation which will determine whether to let tech companies use content without permission unless the creators specifically say 'no'. Those affected could include artists, authors, journalists, illustrators, photographers, filmmakers, scriptwriters, singers and songwriters, who argue that they will now have to police their work. The campaign has stressed that if the government legitimises this use of content, the impact will be devastating on an industry which collectively brings in £120bn per year to the UK economy. Throughout the next week, media outlets will run the 'Make It Fair' campaign with the message: 'The government wants to change the UK's laws to favour big tech platforms so they can use British creative content to power their AI models without our permission or payment. Let's protect the creative industries – it's only fair.' Launching the campaign today, Owen Meredith, CEO of News Media Association, said: 'We already have gold-standard copyright laws in the UK. They have underpinned growth and job creation in the creative economy across the UK – supporting some of the world's greatest creators – artists, authors, journalists, scriptwriters, singers and songwriters to name but a few. 'And for a healthy democratic society, copyright is fundamental to publishers' ability to invest in trusted quality journalism. 'The only thing which needs affirming is that these laws also apply to AI, and transparency requirements should be introduced to allow creators to understand when their content is being used. Instead, the government proposes to weaken the law and essentially make it legal to steal content. 'There will be no AI innovation without the high-quality content that is the essential fuel for AI models. We're appealing to the great British public to get behind our 'Make It Fair' campaign and call on the government to guarantee creatives are able to secure proper financial reward from AI firms to ensure a sustainable future for both AI and the creative industries.' Launching a music industry campaign to coincide with the 'Make It Fair' campaign, choral composer Ed Newton-Rex, founder of Fairly Trained, a non-profit that certifies generative AI companies for training data practices that respect creators' rights, said: 'One thousand UK musicians released a joint album today, recordings of empty studios, calling on the government to change course or risk empty studios becoming the norm. 'The government's proposals would hand the life's work of the UK's talented creators – its musicians, its writers, its artists – to AI companies, for free. The government must change course and make it fair.'
Sky News
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Thousands of artists call for 'mass theft' AI auction to be cancelled
More than 3,000 artists have called for Christie's to cancel its first-ever AI art auction, calling it "mass theft" of human artists' work. The petition urges the New York auction house to call off the event - where pieces range from $10,000 to $250,000 (£8,000 to £202,000) - citing "serious concern" over exploitation of artists. "Many of the artworks you plan to auction were created using AI models that are known to be trained on copyrighted work without a licence," the petition says. "These models, and the companies behind them, exploit human artists, using their work without permission or payment to build commercial AI products that compete with them." The petition, directed at Christie's, reads: "Your support of these models, and the people who use them, rewards and further incentivises AI companies' mass theft of human artists' work. "We ask that, if you have any respect for human artists, you cancel the auction." The battleground over training AI models has resulted in a number of lawsuits between companies and creatives alleging copyright was breached in the training process. Christie's said the works in the auction used AI to "enhance" the art. Concerns 'completely justified' One of the petition's leading signatories, British composer Ed Newton-Rex, told Sky News he thinks the letter is "completely justified". He said: "It looks like around nine of the works in the auction were made using AI models that companies built using other artists' work without permission. "I don't blame artists for using AI products that are available on the market, but I question why Christie's would implicitly condone these models by selling these works for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, when the exploitative technology behind them is impoverishing so many artists desperately trying to make a living." 'Bullying' artists The AI-dedicated event, running from 20 February to 5 March, includes work by Refik Anadol, Claire Silver, Sasha Stiles and others. Mat Dryhurst, a British artist whose work features in Christie's auction, told Sky News he did not agree with the artists speaking out against Christie's. He said he "does not find attempts to bully artists in the least bit acceptable". He added: "It is not illegal to use any model to create artwork. "I resent that an important debate that should be focused on companies and state policy is being focused on artists grappling with the technology of our time." A spokesperson for Christie's told Sky News: "The artists represented in this sale all have strong, existing multidisciplinary art practices, some recognised in leading museum collections.
