The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has prohibited ChatGPT from using its content due to increasing concerns that artificial intelligence tools are violating copyright.
The BBC stated, “Collecting BBC website data without permission is not in the interest of license fee payers.”
The news organization is examining other threats posed by artificial intelligence, including its impact on website traffic and the potential for increased dissemination of misleading information.
The BBC emphasized that if not used correctly, generative artificial intelligence can present significant new risks, including ethical issues, legal challenges, copyright concerns, and substantial risks related to misinformation and bias.
This ban comes after similar actions were taken by other news outlets, including The Guardian, The New York Times, and CNN, all of which prevented ChatGPT from accessing their websites. BBC Good Food magazine also restricted ChatGPT from using its content.
News publishers are increasingly worried about tech giants collecting data from their websites to train artificial intelligence programs without permission.
Currently, the Daily Mail newspaper is preparing for a legal battle with Google over allegations that the company used hundreds of thousands of its online news stories to train the chatbot Bard.
At the same time, the News Media Association warned that a flood of fake news generated by artificial intelligence could pollute human knowledge.
Some news organizations hope to negotiate groundbreaking deals that would compel tech giants to pay for the use of their content.
The BBC indicated its desire to establish an organized and sustainable approach with artificial intelligence companies.
The BBC is launching a series of small projects to experiment with artificial intelligence in various areas, including news headlines, archival footage, and production assistance.
The unique challenge posed by artificial intelligence poses a significant threat to the BBC due to its funding model, which relies on licensing fees.
The BBC insists that artificial intelligence could provide a substantial opportunity for the organization to deepen and expand its mission, as long as it is used responsibly.
