The recent developments involving OpenAI and the New York Times have spotlighted what was already known as an important aspect of this generative AI technological revolution: the ethical and legal use of data for training AI and the outputs of LLMs. As OpenAI faces a significant lawsuit from The New York Times for copyright infringement, Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, is emerging as a thought leader in advocating for a responsible approach to AI development.
The Legal Landscape Shifts: OpenAI’s Copyright Challenge
The landscape of AI was shaken recently when The New York Times filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft. The complaint alleges that millions of articles were used without permission to train chatbots, including ChatGPT, potentially leading to billions in damages. This lawsuit represents a major challenge in the field, testing the boundaries of copyright law in the age of AI.
This lawsuit comes as no surprise to the AI and tech communities. It’s known that publicly available data has been scraped and used to train language models. In fact, these models wouldn’t exists without this training data. It takes a large amount of text data to train a text model. In general, the larger the training set, the better the results.
Salesforce’s Ethical Focus: A Blueprint for the Future?
Against this backdrop, Marc Benioff’s stance at Salesforce’s Dreamforce 2023 conference was notably distinct. At a press conference at Dreamforce 2023, he was questioned by Business Insider about the data being used to train Salesforce’s own models. It’s clear he has provided direction to ensure any Salesforce models are developed more responsibly although it’s unknown how that’s accomplished.
The types of data and sources of data can be curated for training models. In fact, the performance of a model hinges on how the data used to train it is curated. There are open source services that provide this data for training models and although it takes more work, you can steer data selection from an ethical point of view rather than a performance or profiting point of view.
Benioff’s Vision: Ethics at the Forefront of AI
Marc Benioff has long championed the ethical use of technology. His acquisition of Time magazine in 2018 and his reaction to finding Time’s content in AI models reflect his commitment to protecting intellectual property. At Salesforce, this ethos translates into a rigorous approach to data use, especially when ensuring that customer data is used with consent and that customer data is not used to train AI models. The message is very clear that Salesforce is positioned to be one of the biggest advocates for ethical creation and use of AI technologies.
The Implications for the AI Industry
The contrast between the situations of OpenAI and Salesforce highlights a crucial consideration for the AI industry. As AI technologies continue to evolve, the need for clarity regarding the source and use of training data becomes increasingly important. The industry must navigate the fine line between innovation and ethical responsibility, ensuring that AI development does not infringe upon copyright laws.
Looking Ahead: The Path of Responsible AI
Salesforce’s approach, as championed by Benioff, could serve as a model for other companies in the AI space. It underscores the importance of building AI technologies that respect intellectual property rights and prioritize ethical considerations. This approach is not just about avoiding legal pitfalls; it’s about fostering trust and credibility in an industry that is reshaping every aspect of our lives.
As AI becomes more integrated into our daily experiences, the debate over its ethical and legal use will only intensify. The stance taken by leaders like Marc Benioff will be crucial in shaping a future where AI is not only powerful and innovative but also responsible and respectful of the legal and moral frameworks that govern our society.
Conclusion: Embracing the Future with Salesforce AI
As Salesforce continues to innovate with AI, professionals equipped with the right training and tools stand at the forefront of this revolution. This year and next will be packed with rapid changes for the platform. AI Force Training’s programs and Salesforce’s AI technologies are paving the way for a new age in CRM – one that’s smarter, more powerful, and innovative. Ethics will continue to play a major role in how AI is applied to the CRM space and Salesforce leads the way.