Crucial Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism with AI: Legal and Ethical Considerations
Published on: March 10, 2024
The debate over AI-generated content has intensified, especially in the context of large language models (LLMs) potentially 'memorizing' and reproducing training inputs. Scholars like Nicholas Carlini and Gary Marcus have raised concerns, backed by empirical studies. For instance, Milad Nasr's 2023 paper highlighted LLMs' capability to reveal private information, and Carlini's work showed larger models regurgitating text verbatim.
A notable example is the lawsuit filed by The New York Times against OpenAI, where GPT-4's outputs were found to closely mirror NYT articles. These 'plagiaristic outputs' pose significant legal questions, especially in terms of copyright infringement, a concern amplified by the unpredictable nature of LLM outputs and their 'black box' characteristics.
This issue transcends text and enters the visual realm, as seen in the case of Midjourney v6, where even without specific prompts, plagiaristic visual outputs were generated. These instances not only challenge the technical boundaries of AI but also raise serious sociological, legal, and practical concerns regarding the future of journalism, copyright laws, and the responsibilities of end-users and AI developers.
The New York Times v. OpenAI lawsuit could set a precedent, with potential financial and structural impacts on the field of generative AI. As AI continues to evolve, addressing these plagiaristic tendencies becomes crucial for the ethical and legal development of the technology.