British authors expressed feeling “absolutely sick” upon discovering their book titles in a “shadow library” allegedly utilized by tech giant Meta for artificial intelligence software development.
One best-selling novelist shared, “It’s my whole life. The idea that someone in Silicon Valley is using my work to create fake AI versions… it’s deeply distressing.”
A tool to access the LibGen database was released by The Atlantic after court documents in a lawsuit against Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, revealed the company’s alleged use of the library to develop AI software. Meta has refuted the accusations and is seeking to dismiss the case.
Meta argues that it did not infringe copyright laws by utilizing LibGen to train its AI system Llama 3, claiming “fair use” of the material and denying replication of authors’ works.
Internal communications cited in previous court documents imply that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg authorized the use of the LibGen dataset despite objections from some employees.
Author Rowan Coleman has written numerous novels. Pic: Carolyn Mendelsohn
The Society of Authors (SoA) has condemned Meta’s actions as “appalling” and emphasizes the need for compensation for the affected authors.
Novelist Rowan Coleman, with around 40 published books to her name, including bestsellers, expressed deep concern over the potential revenue loss and the exploitation of authors by tech giants.
Coleman highlighted the threat Meta’s alleged actions pose to the existence of the profession itself, voicing fears of a future devoid of human-authored books due to AI replication.
Owen Cooper and Stephen Graham in Adolescence. Pic: Netflix
Another author, Hannah Doyle, voiced concerns over her works being used without consent, emphasizing the economic impact and the imbalance in power between authors and tech giants.
Many authors, including Richard Osman, have called for respect of copyright laws and highlighted the importance of permission before using authors’ works in AI development.
The controversy surrounding Meta’s use of authors’ works without permission is part of a broader conversation about AI and copyright law, with legal actions initiated against various AI companies for similar practices.
Author Hannah Doyle is about to publish her fifth novel
Authors remain vigilant about protecting their rights and ensuring fair compensation for their work amidst the increasing intersection of AI and creative industries.
The UK government’s proposed changes to copyright law in relation to AI have been met with skepticism by authors, who fear the potential for exploitation and erosion of creators’ rights.