The Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry has published a provisional report addressing the threats posed by major digital platforms to local news media. The Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry (MDPMI) in South Africa has released its provisional report, detailing findings and recommendations aimed at addressing the challenges faced by the local news media in the digital landscape. This inquiry comes in response to concerns that the American tech giants are undermining competition and restrict the viability of news media in South Africa. It has undertaken a comprehensive process over the past 16 months, which included public hearings, evidence…

The business information firm won a suit against a firm that used its content to create a competitor. Thomson Reuters has achieved a notable legal victory regarding the use of copyrighted materials in artificial intelligence, as the company secured a ruling reaffirming its rights under U.S. copyright law. The decision, made by Judge Stephanos Bibas of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, pertains to a lawsuit filed by Thomson Reuters against Ross Intelligence, a now-defunct legal research firm. The dispute commenced in 2020 when Thomson Reuters contended that Ross Intelligence had unlawfully utilised content from its renowned legal platform,…

The International News Media Association has published a new report looking into how media should deal with this fraught topic. The International News Media Association (INMA) has published a report detailing the evolving dynamics between news organisations and artificial intelligence (AI) companies. Titled How News Media Should Work with AI Companies, the report evaluates the implications and strategies for news publishers aiming to navigate this complex technological landscape. Jodie Hopperton, the INMA Product and Tech Initiative Lead, highlights that as news organisations increasingly incorporate AI, they must stay ahead of changing consumer expectations while adapting to new technologies. “Given the…

The US Copyright Office has said artists can obtain copyright for works created with AI assistance. The US Copyright Office has published a comprehensive report affirming that artists can obtain copyright for works created with AI assistance, marking a significant development in the complex intersection of copyright law and AI technology in creative industries. The Copyright Office, an independent agency within the Library of Congress, processes about half a million copyright applications annually, including a growing number of claims involving AI-generated works. The report outlines the office’s ruling that while AI can assist in the creation of art, the presence…

Major digital news publishers in India have initiated a legal challenge against OpenAI, alleging improper use of copyrighted content, as the landscape of AI-generated content faces heightened scrutiny. Digital news publishers in India, including the digital units of billionaires Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, have initiated a legal challenge against OpenAI, alleging the improper use of copyrighted content by the company, according to legal documents seen by Reuters. The lawsuit involves prominent media outlets such as Adani’s NDTV, Ambani’s Network18, The Indian Express, and the Hindustan Times. These publishers are requesting to join an ongoing legal action brought against…

Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist, urges European leaders to enhance funding for artificial intelligence to bridge the investment gap with the United States. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist, called for increased investment in artificial intelligence from Europe and described recent US funding initiatives as potentially unrealistic. His comments, made during an interview with AFP, highlighted the significant disparity in investment strategies between Europe and the United States. LeCun, considered one of the pioneers of AI, specifically referenced a $500 billion funding plan announced by former US President Donald Trump aimed at…

Music AI raises $40 million in Series A funding to advance ethical AI solutions for the music industry, amid growing concerns over copyright issues. Music AI, a company focused on developing artificial intelligence solutions for the music and audio sectors, has successfully secured $40 million in a Series A funding round. This funding round was led by Connect Ventures, a joint venture between Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and New Enterprise Associates (NEA), along with Brazilian investor monashees. Other contributors to the funding included Kickstart, Samsung Next, Toba Capital, Valutia, Pelion, and several notable figures from the music industry, including songwriter…

The tech giant has temporarily halted its AI notifications for news and entertainment after a backlash over misleading alerts. Apple has decided to suspend its AI notification feature aimed at news and entertainment platforms following criticism after it generated inaccurate alerts. The decision to pause was influenced in part by a complaint from the BBC. Last month Apple Intelligence wrongly made it appear that BBC News had published an article reporting that Luigi Mangione, the man arrested following the murder of a health insurance CEO in New York, had shot himself, when he was alive and well in police custody.…

The implications of the second Trump presidency for AI regulation and copyright are becoming increasingly significant. A series of significant developments regarding artificial intelligence (AI) emerged from Washington DC as the year closed and the political landscape shifts with an administration change. On December 16, the US Copyright Office announced a delay in the release of parts 2 and 3 of its comprehensive report addressing AI and copyright challenges, which is now scheduled for this year. This decision marks a shift from an initial timeline that had set the release for the end of fiscal year 2024. The first segment…

The editorial team of the Journal of Human Evolution has resigned in protest against the publisher’s use of AI in editorial processes. The editorial team of the Journal of Human Evolution (JHE) has resigned in response to actions taken by their publisher, Elsevier, which they claim undermined the integrity of their work, notably in relation to the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in their editorial processes. In a public statement, the editors expressed their concerns not only about the publisher’s imposition of high subscription fees but also about significant changes to the editorial structure and responsibilities that they sayt…