Industry & Advocacy News

Authors Guild Encouraged by Penguin Random House’s New AI Restrictions

Artificial Intelligence

October 23, 2024

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The Authors Guild applauds Penguin Random House’s decisive action to protect authors’ intellectual property rights from unauthorized AI training by adding a statement that no AI training is permitted to its copyright pages. This move could help ensure that PRH’s books are opted out under the still fuzzy opt-out provisions of the EU text and data mining exception, and it will make it more difficult for AI companies in the U.S. that have said they would voluntarily recognize opt-outs to use the books. 

At the same time, we would like to see PRH and other publishers provide all authors with contract-level protections, such as our model contract clauses addressing AI usage rights. Those provisions require explicit author consent for AI training as well as AI-generated translations, audiobooks, and cover art. In particular, the Authors Guild believes that no publisher should license works for AI training without the authors’ express consent.

We encourage other publishers to follow PRH’s example and to adopt our model contract clauses to ensure authors retain meaningful control over how their works interact with AI technologies.

Beyond individual contracts, we’re advocating for systemic protections including mandatory AI content labeling, transparency in AI training data, and federal right of publicity laws. In 2023, we helped organize a class action lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft. 

For authors seeking to protect their rights, we recommend reviewing our model contract clauses and updated guidance on AI issues. The Guild remains committed to both protecting authors’ rights and helping them navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI through our educational programs and best practices guidelines. 

Read more about our AI advocacy and consider donating to support this work.