IDTechEx recently explored the issue of ownership and accountability when it comes to implementing AI technologies, particularly in the context of creative works, in a newly published article titled “AI and Security: Ensuring That Opportunities Outweigh Threats.”
The piece cited Charlie Brooker’s highly successful Neflix series, “Black Mirror.” This show covers a wide range of existential topics, from ethics and morality (the good of the many versus the good of the individual) to the potential implications of unrestrained and unregulated scientific progress.
The IDTechEx article highlighted the first episode of the series’ sixth season, “Joan Is Awful.”
In this episode, Joan, a tech worker, finds that a programme is playing on “Streamberry” that broadcasts her every move to millions of people across the world. This was carried out without her knowledge.
The dramatisation distorts her personality, causing her to exhibit exaggerated negative personality traits. Soon, her whole world is upside down.
Joan eventually finds legal counsel, and the lawyer informs her that she unknowingly agreed to Streamberry's terms and conditions, which include the right to utilise, licence and dramatise any and all parts of her life, including her identity.
This episode leaves an unsettling feeling with the audience towards AI in that they fear they might find themselves in such circumstances in the future.
This paints a scary picture of AI’s ability to potentially record and replicate one’s life for an audience.
However, humans create the initial prompt, but it is the AI tool that creates the output.
“An AI may also be used to prompt other AI tools, and so AI can act as both the prompt and the creator. Other parties should also be considered, such as the developers of the AI tool, as well as the owners of the data that comprise the dataset used to train the AI tool,” said IDTechEx.
The latter was a crucial factor in Italy's decision to prohibit ChatGPT in April 2023. Due to four major areas of dispute, Italy banned ChatGPT for all users using the site with an Italian IP address.
“This event could well be a sign of things to come. As AI becomes more advanced and so too does the type of content that it can generate.
“The approach taken by the Italian Garante could – and, most would probably agree, should – be one taken by all data protection agencies in order to ensure that personal data used to train such algorithms cannot be misused. Because no one wants to be Joan,” added IDTechEx.
Netizens have also been saying this episode predicted the actors’ strike in Hollywood.
"They proposed that our background actors should be able to be scanned, get paid for one day's pay, and their company should own that scan, their image, their likeness and to be able to use it for the rest of eternity in any project they want with no consent and no compensation."
— Russ Fischer (@russfischer) July 13, 2023
The actors are battling for higher remuneration and the freedom to approve or not consent to the use of their likeness by studios for AI technology.
They claim that large studios and streaming platforms can afford to pay much more, but are instead lining their pockets instead of compensating actors fairly.
IOL News