Jack Dorsey, cofounder of Twitter (now X), ignited a heated debate around intellectual property and copyright after posting on X: “delete all IP law.” The platform’s current owner, Elon Musk, quickly backed the sentiment, replying, “I agree.”
While it is not certain what prompted these statements, it has been noted this comes at a time when AI companies including OpenAI — which Musk cofounded but now competes with — are facing numerous lawsuits alleging that they’ve violated copyright laws to train their models.
In March, a federal judge has ruled that media outlets including the New York Times can proceed with their lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, seeking an end to the practice of using their stories to train artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots.
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Tech companies have already been lobbying for changes in copyright laws. In the UK, the government recently consulted both the public and industry on proposed reforms to longstanding copyright protections — reforms that would require copyright owners to opt out if they don’t want their work to be legally used to train AI systems.
While some like investor Chris Messina have spoken in support of Dorsey’s stance, the stance has also been widely criticized. “‘Delete’ IP law and you delete one of the main incentives to create at all,” said Ed Newton-Rex, a former executive at Stability AI, who is now an outspoken critic of Big Tech’s approach to copyright and AI. Newton-Rex calls the Musk-Dorsey exchange “a ludicrous suggestion, from tech execs who are completely out of touch with working creators.”
Carissa Veliz, an AI ethicist at the University of Oxford pointed out that “it’s not surprising that two businessmen who would stand to gain a lot from the disappearance of IP law support that view.”
According to a YouGov survey, four in 10 Americans believe AI should be much more regulated than it currently is, with another three in 10 saying “somewhat more” regulation is needed. Nearly 80% of people worry that AI will diminish human creativity and drive.