The Nick Clegg AI Argument, Rehashed
Feed our AI overlords, or else . . .
In a news article in the Verge called “Nick Clegg says asking artists for use [sic] permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry”, the argument goes as follows:
“I think the creative community wants to go a step further,” Clegg said according to The Times. “Quite a lot of voices say, ‘You can only train on my content, [if you] first ask’. And I have to say that strikes me as somewhat implausible because these systems train on vast amounts of data.”
“I just don’t know how you go around, asking everyone first. I just don’t see how that would work,” Clegg said. “And by the way if you did it in Britain and no one else did it, you would basically kill the AI industry in this country overnight.”
And this person was born in my home country. Hint: Nick, don’t come back, please. Disappear somewhere in the Metaverse©, and stay there. I promise not to copy you.
So how does that work in other industries?
On behalf of the Transsylvanian League of Blood Transfusionists:
“You can only use my blood, if you ask first,” the TLBT says. “We just don’t see how that would work . . . it would kill the Vampire Industry in this country overnight.”
On behalf of the Burglar’s Guild:
“You can only break into my house, if you ask first,” the Burglar’s Guild says. “We just don’t see how that would work . . . it would kill the Burglary Industry in this country overnight.”
On behalf of the Zombie Liberation Front:
“You can only eat my brains, if you ask first,” the ZLB says. “We just don’t see how that would work . . . it would kill the flourishing Zombie Industry in this country overnight.”
Those are the first responses that come to my mind. Maybe you can do better in the comments?
Also, please support creators in their fight against AIs stealing their work.
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Author’s note: I know, it’s been quiet around here. I’m on holiday in the Mediterranean (working on my next novel), from which I will return next week. Then I’ll try to return to more regular posting. Many thanks for your patience and for reading!
Yep, we're the bad guys for sure, standing in the way of progress and theft.