Mark Zuckerberg to Face Deposition in AI Copyright Lawsuit
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Mark Zuckerberg faces deposition in AI copyright lawsuit from Sarah Silverman and other authors
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be deposed as part of a lawsuit brought by authors including comedian Sarah Silverman accusing the company of copyright infringement to train its artificial intelligence technology. U.S. District Judge Thomas Hixson rejected Meta's bid to bar the deposition of Zuckerberg in a decision Tuesday, saying there is sufficient evidence to show he is the "principal decision maker" for the company's AI platforms. Meta had argued that Zuckerberg doesn't have unique knowledge of the company's AI operations and that the same information could be obtained from depositions with other employees. The authors have "submitted evidence of his specific involvement in the company's AI initiatives," as well as his "direct supervision of Meta's AI products," Hixson wrote in a Tuesday ruling. The class action lawsuit was filed last year in California federal court. The authors accuse Meta of illegally downloading digital copies of their books and using them -- without consent or compensation -- to train its AI platforms. Also this week, prominent attorney David Boies joined the case on behalf of Silverman and the group of other plaintiffs that includes writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Boies is best known for representing Al Gore in the 2000 disputed election against George W. Bush.
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Mark Zuckerberg faces deposition in AI copyright lawsuit from Sarah Silverman and other authors
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be deposed as part of a lawsuit brought by authors including comedian Sarah Silverman accusing the company of copyright infringement to train its artificial intelligence technology. U.S. District Judge Thomas Hixson rejected Meta's bid to bar the deposition of Zuckerberg in a decision Tuesday, saying there is sufficient evidence to show he is the "principal decision maker" for the company's AI platforms. Meta had argued that Zuckerberg doesn't have unique knowledge of the company's AI operations and that the same information could be obtained from depositions with other employees. The authors have "submitted evidence of his specific involvement in the company's AI initiatives," as well as his "direct supervision of Meta's AI products," Hixson wrote in a Tuesday ruling. The class action lawsuit was filed last year in California federal court. The authors accuse Meta of illegally downloading digital copies of their books and using them -- without consent or compensation -- to train its AI platforms. Also this week, prominent attorney David Boies joined the case on behalf of Silverman and the group of other plaintiffs that includes writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Boies is best known for representing Al Gore in the 2000 disputed election against George W. Bush. The case against Meta is one of a set of similar lawsuits in San Francisco and New York against other AI chatbot developers including Anthropic, Microsoft and ChatGPT maker OpenAI.
[3]
Mark Zuckerberg faces deposition in AI copyright lawsuit from Sarah Silverman and other authors
SAN FRANCISCO -- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be deposed as part of a lawsuit brought by authors including comedian Sarah Silverman accusing the company of copyright infringement to train its artificial intelligence technology. U.S. District Judge Thomas Hixson rejected Meta's bid to bar the deposition of Zuckerberg in a decision Tuesday, saying there is sufficient evidence to show he is the "principal decision maker" for the company's AI platforms. Meta had argued that Zuckerberg doesn't have unique knowledge of the company's AI operations and that the same information could be obtained from depositions with other employees. The authors have "submitted evidence of his specific involvement in the company's AI initiatives," as well as his "direct supervision of Meta's AI products," Hixson wrote in a Tuesday ruling. The class action lawsuit was filed last year in California federal court. The authors accuse Meta of illegally downloading digital copies of their books and using them -- without consent or compensation -- to train its AI platforms. Also this week, prominent attorney David Boies joined the case on behalf of Silverman and the group of other plaintiffs that includes writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Boies is best known for representing Al Gore in the 2000 disputed election against George W. Bush.
[4]
Mark Zuckerberg Faces Deposition in AI Copyright Lawsuit From Sarah Silverman and Other Authors
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be deposed as part of a lawsuit brought by authors including comedian Sarah Silverman accusing the company of copyright infringement to train its artificial intelligence technology. U.S. District Judge Thomas Hixson rejected Meta's bid to bar the deposition of Zuckerberg in a decision Tuesday, saying there is sufficient evidence to show he is the "principal decision maker" for the company's AI platforms. Meta had argued that Zuckerberg doesn't have unique knowledge of the company's AI operations and that the same information could be obtained from depositions with other employees. The authors have "submitted evidence of his specific involvement in the company's AI initiatives," as well as his "direct supervision of Meta's AI products," Hixson wrote in a Tuesday ruling. The class action lawsuit was filed last year in California federal court. The authors accuse Meta of illegally downloading digital copies of their books and using them -- without consent or compensation -- to train its AI platforms. Also this week, prominent attorney David Boies joined the case on behalf of Silverman and the group of other plaintiffs that includes writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Boies is best known for representing Al Gore in the 2000 disputed election against George W. Bush. The case against Meta is one of a set of similar lawsuits in San Francisco and New York against other AI chatbot developers including Anthropic, Microsoft and ChatGPT maker OpenAI. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to be deposed in a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by comedian Sarah Silverman and other authors. The case centers on the alleged use of copyrighted material to train AI language models.
Zuckerberg's Upcoming Deposition
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to face a deposition on September 21 in connection with a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against Meta Platforms Inc. The lawsuit, brought by comedian Sarah Silverman and other authors, alleges that Meta used copyrighted books without permission to train its artificial intelligence large language models 1.
The Lawsuit's Core Allegations
The plaintiffs, including Silverman and authors Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey, claim that Meta utilized their copyrighted works to develop its AI models without obtaining proper authorization or providing compensation 2. This lawsuit is part of a broader trend of legal challenges against tech companies over the use of copyrighted material in AI training.
Meta's Defense and Legal Strategy
Meta has consistently denied these allegations, asserting that its use of publicly available online information for AI training falls under fair use. The company has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the plaintiffs have failed to show how Meta's AI models have caused them harm 3.
Implications for the AI Industry
This case highlights the ongoing debate surrounding copyright issues in AI development. As AI technology continues to advance, questions about the ethical and legal use of copyrighted material for training purposes have become increasingly prominent. The outcome of this lawsuit could have far-reaching implications for the AI industry and how companies approach data collection for machine learning 4.
Similar Legal Challenges
Meta is not the only tech giant facing such legal scrutiny. Other major companies, including OpenAI and Microsoft, are also defending themselves against similar copyright infringement claims related to their AI models. These lawsuits collectively represent a significant legal challenge to the current practices in AI development and training 1.
The Role of Zuckerberg's Deposition
Zuckerberg's deposition is expected to provide crucial insights into Meta's AI development processes and decision-making regarding the use of copyrighted material. His testimony could play a pivotal role in shaping the court's understanding of the company's practices and intentions in AI model training 2.
Potential Outcomes and Industry Impact
The resolution of this lawsuit could set important precedents for how AI companies handle copyrighted material in the future. It may lead to new guidelines or regulations governing the use of copyrighted works in AI training, potentially reshaping the landscape of AI development and intellectual property rights in the digital age 4.
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