In a bid to protect the rights of artists, songwriters, and journalists in the age of artificial intelligence, Senators Maria Cantwell, Martin Heinrich, and Marsha Blackburn have introduced the COPIED Act.Â
This legislation aims to curb unauthorized use of creative works for AI training and generation without consent, marking a significant step in digital copyright protection.
The COPIED Act, formally known as the Copyright Office Protections for Intellectual Property in the Development of Emerging Technologies Act, addresses growing concerns over the misuse of intellectual property in AI development.
It mandates that companies developing AI tools must allow content creators to attach provenance information to their works.
This information would serve to track the origin and ownership of content, ensuring transparency and accountability in its usage.
Key provisions of the bill include strict prohibitions against using works with attached provenance information for AI training or generation without explicit consent from the content owner.
The legislation also empowers content creators to take legal action against platforms found to have unlawfully used their works or manipulated provenance details.
Furthermore, the COPIED Act calls upon the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to establish comprehensive guidelines for content provenance, including methods for watermarking and detecting synthetic content.
This move is aimed at bolstering the integrity of digital content attribution and combating the rise of AI-generated fake media.
The introduction of the COPIED Act reflects a broader legislative trend aimed at addressing the challenges posed by AI technologies, such as deepfakes and digital content ownership.
It complements recent efforts to regulate AI development and ensure that technological advancements are aligned with ethical standards and respect for intellectual property rights.
Support for the COPIED Act has been voiced by various artistes’ groups and media associations, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding creative works in the digital landscape.
