A new online marketplace, Created by Humans, has been launched to provide authors a platform for licensing their literary works to artificial intelligence companies. It addresses unauthorized content use by enabling authors to control and receive payment for AI training.
The system operates on the principle that authors retain the rights to their works unless explicitly transferred via a separate agreement. Through the Created by Humans platform, authors can list their books and choose to opt in or out of specific AI-related rights. The contracts offered are non-exclusive, a key feature that permits authors to license the same work to multiple AI companies and through other channels, thereby maintaining broad control over their intellectual property while opening potential revenue streams.
This initiative aims to bridge the gap between content creators and the AI industry, as many authors have found their works were used to train AI models without consent. The platform offers a proactive licensing solution, functioning as an alternative to the extensive litigation that has so far been predominantly handled between large publishing houses and AI developers. By simplifying the process for legally acquiring training data, it allows AI firms to focus resources on technological innovation rather than legal disputes.
As of its launch, discussions are underway with several AI companies, though no licensing deals have been finalized. The platform has been acknowledged by industry leaders as a functional interim measure. Officials from the Authors Guild and the Partnership on AI view this model as a practical solution while the legal landscape surrounding AI and copyright is clarified by the courts. The system is designed to offer authors enhanced transparency and a potential income source derived from the use of their books in AI systems.
