Is everything online free? Microsoft AI CEO says yes ?‍?

Is everything online free? Microsoft AI CEO says yes ?‍?

The CEO of Microsoft AI recently made a controversial statement that has stirred up quite a bit of debate. They claimed that anything you post online is free to use by anyone. However, the reality under US copyright law is quite different: you own your own content. If you're posting something to social media, it is still, for the most part, your own content.

This begs the question: can you just take someone else's content because it's been posted freely on the internet? For anyone who has been on the internet for a while, this might seem obvious, but the answer is clearly no. If someone were to post pirated versions of Microsoft Office online, would that mean Microsoft Office is free? Definitely not.

The Microsoft AI CEO is not the only executive in the AI realm facing scrutiny for using user data for free. When asked if OpenAI utilizes YouTube data for their new video training model, the CTO's evasive reaction hinted at a potential yes. Similarly, Meta AI is using data from Instagram and Facebook to train their models.

Even though users own the copyright of the content they post on these platforms, Meta's terms of service grant them the right to use this data for model training. Proving companies are using our data this way is challenging—it’s not as clear-cut as simply reposting our content.

So, even though it is illegal for Microsoft to be using our online data without permission, they might still be doing it. It’s concerning that their CEO doesn't acknowledge the problem with this practice.

Keywords

• Microsoft AI CEO
• US copyright law
• Social media content
• Pirated content
• OpenAI
• YouTube data
• Meta AI
• Instagram data
• Facebook data
• Terms of Service
• Model training
• User data

FAQ

Q: Can you use someone else's content just because it's posted online?
A: No, US copyright law stipulates that you own your own content even if it's posted online.

Q: Does posting pirated versions of software online make it free?
A: No, posting pirated versions of software does not make it free or legal.

Q: Are companies like OpenAI and Meta using user data for their model training?
A: There are indications that both OpenAI and Meta use user data from platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for training their AI models.

Q: Does Meta's terms of service allow them to use user data for training?
A: Yes, Meta's terms of service permit them to use user data for model training purposes.

Q: Is it legal for companies to use online data without permission?
A: No, under US copyright law, it is illegal for companies to use online data without the owner's permission, though proving violations can be challenging.