Latest news with #TraceID
Business Insider
10 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Google (GOOGL) Is Training AI on YouTube Videos, and Creators Didn't Even Know
Tech giant Google (GOOGL) is using part of its huge library of YouTube videos (around 20 billion in total) to train AI models like Gemini and Veo 3, according to CNBC. Although the company says it only uses a portion of the videos and follows agreements with creators and media companies, this still means that billions of minutes of content are used for training. Unsurprisingly, YouTube says that it has always used content to improve its products and now has protections to help creators control how their image is used in the age of AI. However, creators can't stop Google from using their videos for its own AI models, and many weren't aware this was happening. Confident Investing Starts Here: As a result, some experts and creators are worried. Indeed, tools like Trace ID from a company called Vermillio, which is used to detect overlaps between AI-generated videos and original ones, have found that Veo 3 has created videos very similar to existing YouTube content. One example showed a Veo 3 video closely matched a video from creator Brodie Moss, with a score of 71 for the video and over 90 for just the audio. While some creators welcome the competition, others feel their work is being used unfairly, without credit, consent, or payment. This news comes at a time when the entertainment world is pushing back, as Disney (DIS) and Universal (CMCSA) recently filed a lawsuit against AI company Midjourney for copyright issues. Google, meanwhile, says it will take legal responsibility if users face copyright complaints over content created with Veo 3. YouTube has also partnered with the Creative Artists Agency to help top talent manage how their image is used in AI. But some say YouTube's tools aren't reliable. In fact, U.S. lawmakers, like Senator Josh Hawley, argue that stronger rights are needed to protect people's images and creations as AI advances. Is Google Stock a Good Buy? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on GOOGL stock based on 29 Buys and nine Holds assigned in the past three months. Furthermore, the average GOOGL price target of $199.11 per share implies 14.88% upside potential from current levels.
Axios
03-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
Exclusive: Sony Music backs AI rights startup Vermillio
Vermillio, the Chicago-based AI licensing and protection platform, has raised a $16 million Series A co-led by DNS Capital and Sony Music, executives exclusively tell Axios Why it matters: Sony Music's first investment in AI licensing seeks to protect its artists and support them in responsibly using generative AI tools. How it works: Vermillio's TraceID tool monitors online content for use of intellectual property, as well as name, image and likeness. The platform can automatically send takedown requests and manage payments for licensed content. The company charges $4,000 per month for the software and takes a transaction fee for its licensing tool. Clients include movie studios like Sony Pictures, record labels like Sony Music, talent agencies like WME, as well as individual talent. With Sony Pictures, Vermillio let fans create AI-generated Spider-Verse characters, and it partnered with The Orb and David Gilmour, alongside Sony Music and Legacy Recordings, on AI tools for creating tracks and artwork inspired by "Metallic Spheres In Colour." Context: CEO Dan Neely has worked in AI for more than 20 years. The serial entrepreneur sold his last startup, Networked Insights, to American Family Insurance in 2017 and founded Vermillio in 2019. He says he was inspired to build the "guardrails for generative internet" after seeing the release of deepfake creation software, DeepFaceLab, and rapper Jay-Z's efforts to take down a deepfake of himself. Flashback: Prior, Vermillio raised $7.5 million in seed funding from angel investors. Dennis Kooker, president, global digital business at Sony Music Entertainment, says he was introduced to Neely about a year and a half ago and was impressed by his knowledge of and the startup's strategy. "The first project we did together was a proof of concept with David Gilmore and The Orb to show and highlight that intellectual property and generative AI can work hand in hand," Kooker says. "Training the right way, ethically and principally, can be accomplished." Zoom out: Some companies like Sony Music are seeking legal action on cases where generative AI impacts the core of IP companies. These companies want to protect and monetize creators and content along with nearly every other aspect of their businesses. Sony Music, along with Universal Music Group and Warner Records, sued AI startups Suno and Udio for copyright infringement. But content companies also want to embrace these technologies. Artists can use the tech for their own content creation and for fan engagement. What's next: Neely says Vermillio plans to expand to sports and work with major sports leagues this year. It's also releasing a free version of the product that shows whether someone is at high or low risk of AI copyright.
