TL;DR:
- Universal Music files a lawsuit against AI startup Anthropic, claiming widespread copyright infringement.
- Allegation: Anthropic’s AI chatbot, Claude, generates near-identical copyrighted song lyrics upon user queries.
- Specific songs mentioned in the lawsuit: “Roar” by Katy Perry and “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor.
- The lawsuit emphasizes the importance of AI companies complying with copyright laws.
- Other music publishers, including Concord and ABKCO, joined the legal action.
- Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI executives, secures substantial funding and boasts a valuation of $4.1 billion.
- Anthropic was among select companies invited to the White House to discuss responsible AI development.
- Claude 2, Anthropic’s latest AI chatbot, can summarize up to 75,000 words, outperforming OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Main AI News:
Anthropic’s AI chatbot, Claude, is at the center of a legal dispute as Universal Music takes legal action against the AI startup. In a recent filing in a Tennessee federal court, Universal Music accuses Anthropic of engaging in “systematic and widespread infringement of their copyrighted song lyrics.” The lawsuit highlights a specific instance wherein when a user queries Claude about the lyrics of Katy Perry’s “Roar,” it allegedly produces lyrics that are “almost identical” to the original, thus violating the copyright owned by Concord.
Furthermore, the lawsuit singles out Gloria Gaynor’s iconic hit, “I Will Survive,” as another example of alleged copyright infringement by Anthropic. Universal asserts ownership of the rights to this song’s lyrics as well.
The legal document goes on to emphasize that in the process of developing and operating AI models, Anthropic has illicitly copied and distributed substantial quantities of copyrighted content. It draws a parallel with historical technological advancements, stressing that AI companies, like their predecessors, such as the inventors of the printing press and the copy machine, are bound by the law and must adhere to copyright regulations.
Notably, other music publishers, including Concord and ABKCO, have joined Universal Music as plaintiffs in this lawsuit.
Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI research executives and backed by heavyweight companies like Google, Salesforce, and Zoom, Anthropic has seen significant financial success. Having raised an impressive $750 million in two funding rounds since March, the company’s valuation currently stands at an impressive $4.1 billion.
Earlier this year, Anthropic was one of the select few companies invited to a high-profile meeting at the White House to discuss responsible AI development. This meeting, attended by Vice President Kamala Harris, included tech giants Google (parent Alphabet), Microsoft, and Microsoft-backed OpenAI.
In a move that showcased its technological prowess, Anthropic unveiled Claude 2 in July, the latest iteration of its AI chatbot. The company claimed that Claude 2 possesses the remarkable capability to summarize content of up to approximately 75,000 words, roughly equivalent to the length of a 300-page book. This surpasses the capabilities of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which can handle around 3,000 words.
Conclusion:
The legal battle between Universal Music and Anthropic underscores the increasing importance of copyright protection in the AI industry. It highlights the need for AI companies to operate within the bounds of copyright laws and could set a precedent for future AI development. The case may also influence investor sentiment and partnerships in the AI sector, potentially impacting the market dynamics.
