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NLJ this week: Hello gen AI, meet copyright

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The mix of artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright is a legally complex, hotly debated and rapidly evolving area of practice. In this week’s NLJ, Ciara Cullen, Joshy Thomas and Emma Dunnill, RPC, discuss the multi-faceted issues involved and what may happen next.

The main issue is that generative AI models, such as ChatGPT, are usually trained on works scraped from the internet, potentially infringing the copyright of content creators. The output of gen AI may also infringe copyright.

Cullen, Thomas and Dunnill look at developments and reactions in the EU as well as the UK, where a government consultation on AI and copyright provoked furious opposition. ‘The day the consultation closed, many British newspapers promoted the Make it Fair campaign on their front pages, asking members of the public to write to their MPs to object to the plans,’ they write.

‘On the same day, also in protest, more than 100 musicians released a silent album.’ 

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NEWS
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Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
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