Google has announced that it will defend users of its generative AI systems against copyright claims. This move follows similar commitments by Microsoft and Adobe. Google’s approach is said to be more comprehensive, covering both the use of copyrighted works for training AI and the output generated by the systems. The new policy will cover software like Vertex AI and Duet AI, used for generating text and images in Google Workspace and Cloud programs. However, Google’s well-known generative AI chatbot, Bard, was not mentioned in the announcement. Google aims to tackle indemnification with a two-pronged approach. The first prong covers Google’s use of training data, taking responsibility for potential legal risks. The second prong pertains to the generated output of the AI systems, with Google indemnifying users against claims of intellectual property rights infringement. However, this indemnity does not apply if users intentionally use the generated output to infringe on the rights of others. Generative AI technology has prompted lawsuits from copyright owners, but so far, the focus has been on the companies that own and operate the AI systems, rather than individual users.
