French publishers and authors have taken Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, to court. They accuse Meta of using their books and creative works without permission to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models.
Who Is Taking Action?
Three major groups are leading this lawsuit:
- The National Publishing Union — This group represents book publishers. Its president, Vincent Montagne, said that many works from their members have been used without permission.
- The National Union of Authors and Composers — This group represents 700 writers, playwrights, and composers. They say that AI is stealing their cultural work to train itself.
- The Societe des Gens de Lettres — This group represents authors and is also part of the lawsuit.
What Do They Want?
The groups are demanding Meta remove all data directories created without permission. These directories, they claim, were used to train Meta’s AI model.
Why Are They Worried?
Authors and publishers are worried that AI might create fake books that could compete with real books. Francois Peyrony, president of the National Union of Authors and Composers, said that their members must be protected from such misuse.
What Does the Law Say?
The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act requires AI companies to follow copyright laws and be transparent about where their training data comes from.
Is This Happening Elsewhere?
This case is part of a larger battle between creative industries and tech companies:
- In the United Kingdom, musicians released a silent album to protest changes in AI laws they fear will reduce their creative rights.
- In the United States, companies and artists are also fighting over AI and copyright in court. Recently, Thomson Reuters won a legal battle regarding AI-related copyright use.
What Happens Next?
Meta has not responded to the accusations. The lawsuit will now go forward in a Paris court. This could set an example for how copyright rules are enforced in the age of AI.
