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Authors Guild Partners with Created by Humans to Empower Authors in the AI Era

New collaboration aims to protect and monetize authors' works in AI development

Artificial Intelligence

October 9, 2024

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NEW YORK, October 9, 2024—Today, Created by Humans (CbH), a pioneering platform that enables authors to license their works to AI developers, and the Authors Guild, the nation’s oldest and largest professional organization for writers, announced a new partnership to help protect and promote authors’ rights in the age of AI. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence in the publishing industry.  

Many AI companies have trained their large language models (LLMs) on ebooks copied from pirated ebook websites. They did this without licenses from the authors and publishers—that is, without obtaining consent from authors or publishers or providing them compensation. Without licenses, authors and publishers have no means of controlling LLM uses, including end-user outputs that incorporate their works.

“Generative AI is here to stay and it does not appear that all the books LLMs have been trained on can be effectively purged. We urgently need to give control back to authors and their publishers, and licensing is the means to accomplish that going forward,” said Mary Rasenberger, CEO of the Authors Guild. “CbH’s platform provides authors who are interested in engaging with AI platforms a way to do so on their own terms, ensuring they have a say in how their work is used and are fairly compensated for it.”  

In addition to its litigation and lobbying efforts on AI use of literary works, the Authors Guild is partnering with CbH to help ensure that authors who retain their copyrights are in the driver’s seat when it comes to AI licensing—so that authors can decide if, when, and how AI companies use their works. The platform will open for authors and publishers to register their choices in the fall of 2024 and should be ready to offer licenses to AI companies in early 2025.

The platform offers authors a clear path to control, manage, and monetize their content while giving AI developers access to high-quality, curated written works with the full consent of rights holders.  

Over the past year, the Guild has been at the forefront of advocating for authors’ rights in the AI era. These efforts include supporting groundbreaking legislation for AI transparency, developing best practices for authors navigating AI technologies, filing a class-action lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, and submitting policy recommendations to the U.S. Copyright Office and Senate subcommittees. The Guild has also been instrumental in pushing for consent and compensation for AI training, conducting author surveys on AI impact, and working with industry partners to establish ethical guidelines for AI use of copyrighted material.

As part of the partnership, the Authors Guild’s CEO will serve on CbH’s advisory board, and the Authors Guild will work with Created by Humans to develop informational materials and webinars that clearly explain the terms of licenses and the fees. The Authors Guild’s aim is to ensure that terms are transparent to authors and that their interests are protected. More information is available here.

Trip Adler, co-founder and CEO of Created by Humans, stated, “We’re thrilled to partner with the Authors Guild. This collaboration shows that it is possible to build ethical AI systems that respect creators’ rights while advancing technology. Authors maintain control of their work and gain a new revenue stream, while AI developers get access to authorized, accurate, high-quality content.” 

Created by Humans is built on Adler’s extensive experiences in the digital content and technology sectors. Adler previously co-founded and led Scribd, one of the most successful digital subscription services for books and audio content. He brings a unique perspective to the challenges of balancing creator rights with technological advancement.

The brand was launched in June 2024 with $5 million in funding led by prominent investors, including Craft Ventures and Floodgate. Bestselling author Walter Isaacson joined as a founding author, investor, and advisor, lending his expertise to shape the platform’s direction.

Authors, agents, and publishers interested in learning more about Created by Humans can visit createdbyhumans.ai. 

About The Authors Guild

The Authors Guild is the nation’s oldest and largest professional organization for writers. Since its founding in 1912, it has served as the collective voice of American authors and has long supported the rich and diverse literary culture of our country. Its more than 15,000 members include novelists in all genres and categories, nonfiction writers, journalists, historians, poets, and translators. The Guild welcomes traditionally published authors as well as self-published authors, and other writers of short fiction, articles, and essays. For more information, visit authorsguild.org.

About Created by Humans

Created by Humans is a groundbreaking AI Rights licensing platform that connects creators with AI developers, enabling the licensing of copyrighted works for AI training and development. The platform aims to protect copyright owners’ rights while fostering innovation in AI. For more information, visit createdbyhumans.ai.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Raluca Albu, Ralbu@authorsguild.org

Jen Singerman, jen@createdbyhumans.ai