Google has taken a significant step to address user concerns over copyright infringement lawsuits related to its generative AI products. The tech giant has announced that it is prepared to provide legal protection to users facing such issues, signaling its commitment to support its user base.
Protected Products and User Support
This assurance covers seven Google products: Duet AI in Workspace (including text in Google Docs and Gmail, along with images in Google Slides and Google Meet), Duet AI in Google Cloud, Vertex AI Search, Vertex AI Conversation, Vertex AI Text Embedding API, Visual Captioning on Vertex AI, and Codey APIs. However, it’s essential to note that the Bard Search tool is not included in this list.
Google stated, “If you are faced with a copyright claim, we will bear the potential legal risks associated with it.” This proactive stance seeks to alleviate concerns and foster a sense of security among users.
Clearing the Air on Copyright Issues
While Google emphasizes that this practice is not new, the company acknowledges that users have been seeking clear clarification regarding the extent of protections offered, particularly when copyrighted data is included in the training data for Google’s AI models. This move aims to provide transparency and reassurance to the user community.
Furthermore, Google extends its protection to users in situations where claims are related to the results obtained from the use of its underlying AI models. For instance, if a user generates content similar to something previously published, Google will step in to offer protection. However, it’s important to note that such protection applies only if the user did not intentionally create or use the generated content to infringe upon the rights of others.
Following the Trend
Google is not alone in this endeavor. Other major technology companies like Microsoft and Adobe have made similar commitments to provide legal protection for their users. Microsoft, for example, promises to safeguard business users of its Copilot products, while Adobe assures protection for customers using Firefly, shielding them from potential copyright lawsuits.
Copyright issues continue to be a hot topic in the generative AI space. Numerous lawsuits have been filed against various companies for copyright infringement, and Google itself is currently grappling with a class action lawsuit for using users’ personal information and copyrighted data to train its AI models.
Google’s pledge to legally defend its AI users is a significant development that not only addresses pressing concerns but also aligns with the industry trend of providing robust support and protection to users in an evolving digital landscape, concludes NIXSolutions.