Google recently finalized a $60 million agreement to utilize Reddit content for training its generative-AI models, as reported by Reuters and confirmed by three sources.
According to a Bloomberg report earlier this week, Reddit had reportedly signed a deal with another party, although the identity of the party was not disclosed at the time.
Utilizing content created by people, like that from Reddit, to train AI models is intended to enhance chatbot tools’ ability to provide responses that are more natural, conversational, and contain current and pertinent information.
According to a report by Reuters, AI companies are exploring new methods to leverage vast amounts of online data without causing issues for the copyright holders. Reddit recently revealed its intention to go public, announcing that it will be listing its shares on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol RDDT.
So far, the majority of AI models supporting tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini (formerly Bard) have primarily been trained on content gathered from the internet. However, the approach has raised concerns among authors, artists, publishers, and others, as their copyrighted work is being utilized without acknowledgment or proper compensation. Legal action has been taken against AI companies for copyright infringement, leading tech firms to seek alternative methods for acquiring content, including forming partnerships with platforms like Reddit that have a wealth of valuable material.
Reddit’s deal with Google is similar to Axel Springer’s recent agreement, which allows OpenAI to use the German media company’s content for AI training. However, this method also comes with its own challenges. For instance, there are worries that such agreements could result in funds being funneled solely into the company’s accounts instead of being distributed among the content creators.
An article in Wired from December brought attention to the issue regarding the Axel Springer deal, stating that it was uncertain if individual journalists would benefit from the money. When inquired about the potential benefits for reporters from the licensing arrangement, Axel Springer did not provide a direct response to the question… Currently, it remains uncertain if a writer whose work is included in ChatGPT will receive a one-time payment, a recurring royalty-like payment, or no payment at all.
On Thursday, Reddit and Google both made announcements about moving towards closer collaboration in various areas, without directly referencing the reported deal or its worth.
Google stated that Reddit had a wide range of genuine conversations and experiences, while Reddit mentioned that their collaboration with Google would help users find and engage with relevant content and communities on Reddit.
