Meta’s AI Just Raided Millions of Books—Is Creativity Next?

Forget pirates on the seas. Today’s biggest plunderers sit in Silicon Valley, casually downloading entire libraries without permission.

Meta’s flagship AI, Llama 3, faced an ethical crossroad: license books legally (expensive, slow), or quietly download millions from LibGen, a massive online library of pirated content.

Meta chose piracy, risking lawsuits and copyright nightmares. Ironically, the team openly admitted the risks, suggesting ways to hide their tracks, like removing copyright markings and dodging questions referencing popular books.

This decision raises critical points for all leaders building responsible AI:

• Meta pirated 7.5 million books.
• They used anonymous BitTorrent methods.
• Authors, including me, received zero compensation.

Personally, I believe tech should elevate human creativity, not quietly hijack it. Technology is a double-edged sword, capable of empowerment or exploitation. As leaders, how do we ensure AI innovation respects creators? Should companies freely train AI with pirated content?

Read the full article on The Atlantic.

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