AI Transparency Bill Proposes Disclosure of Copyrighted Training Data

The AI Foundation Model Transparency Act was introduced by Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Don Beyer (D-VA) propose compelling AI companies to disclose copyrighted training data, ensuring transparency about data sources. The bill highlights the importance of enabling data transparency around copyright, as several lawsuits have been filed against AI companies alleging copyright infringements. It mentions the artists' case against Stability AI, Midjourney, and Deviant Art (largely dismissed in October, according to VentureBeat), and Getty Images' complaint against Stability AI.

“With the increase in public access to artificial intelligence, there has been an increase in lawsuits and public concerns about copyright infringement,” the bill states. “Public use of foundation models has led to countless instances of the public being presented with inaccurate, imprecise, or biased information.”

The bill still needs to be assigned to a committee and discussed, and it's unclear if that will happen before the busy election campaign season begins.

Eshoo and Beyer's bill complements the Biden administration's executive order on AI, which helps establish reporting standards for AI models. However, the executive order is not law, so if the AI Foundation Model Transparency Act is passed, transparency requirements for training data will become a federal rule.