Like many others, we were dismayed to learn that mega-corporation Meta has stolen the work of thousands of Australian creators to train the Large Language Model for its flagship AI, Llama 3, without permission, license or compensation – including both editions of The Relationship is the Project.
In my longest rant to date, my latest ‘and another thing’ vlog is 17+ minutes on what Meta did wrong (and how it’s theft may impact an already-decimated sector). The full version and archive are usually available exclusively for my Patreon followers, but here are a few extracts…
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Featuring The Relationship is the Project, NewSouth Publishing, Readings Books, The Atlantic, Tragic Girls Co, TechSpot, Magabala Books, Jennifer Mills on ABC Arts in 30, Australian Society of Authors (ASA), Media Entertainment and the Arts Alliance (MEAA), Books+Publishing and Agata Mrva-Montoya in The Conversation. (Please note: this vlog references legal issues but in no way constitutes legal advice.)
Read more
This episode of ‘and another thing’ draws from or references:
- Meta allegedly used pirated books to train AI. Australian authors have objected, but US courts may decide if this is ‘fair use’, Agata Mrva-Montoya in The Conversation
- Australian authors’ books included in AI training dataset, Australian Society of Authors
- The Unbelievable Scale of AI’s Pirated-Books Problem, The Atlantic ($)
- Search LibGen, the Pirated-Books Database That Meta Used to Train AI, The Atlantic
- Meta AI: The use of Facebook and Instagram content to train generative AI, ArtsLaw
- Literally AI art is so dumb by @TragicGirlsCo
- AI search engines fail accuracy test, study finds 60% error rate, TechSpot
- Meta says copying books was ‘fair use’ in authors’ AI lawsuit, Reuters
- Legal Advice for Artists > Frequently Asked Questions, ArtsLaw
- Statement from Magabala Books about the reported theft of thousands of books by Meta to train their generative artificial intelligence (AI), Instagram
- Meta uses pirated books to train its AI platform and Wanda Gibson makes history, Jennifer Mills interviewed on ABC Arts in 30
- Australian authors and illustrators impacted by the LibGen database (including form), Australian Society of Authors
- Stop AI Theft (including open letter), Media Entertainment and the Arts Alliance
- ASA, APA, Copyright Agency, NZSA statement on LibGen: What to do next?, Books+Publishing
- Statement on AI training (international)
AI policy
I am a concerned and conscientious objector to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. You can read more about my many objections in my recent piece on raining on the parade of generative AI in the arts (and everywhere else).
If you consume or use my work or writing, you can be sure that the creativity, labour and language that goes into it are either my own or drawn from the wisdom of the clever humans I reference or cite, and that I do not intentionally use Al to research, generate or edit in any part of my writing or publishing processes.
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LARSEN | KEYS 
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