Introduction to the Settlement
A historic settlement is expected to be reached soon in a class-action lawsuit over Anthropic’s AI training data. This lawsuit was filed by three authors, Andrea Bartz, Kirk Wallace Johnson, and Charles Graeber, against Anthropic, a company that uses AI models. On Tuesday, US District Judge William Alsup confirmed that Anthropic and the authors "believe they have a settlement in principle" and will file a motion for preliminary approval of the settlement by September 5.
Background of the Lawsuit
The settlement announcement comes after Alsup certified what AI industry advocates criticized as the largest copyright class action of all time. Although the lawsuit was raised by three authors, Alsup allowed up to 7 million claimants to join based on the large number of books that Anthropic may have illegally downloaded to train its AI models. If every author in the class filed a claim, industry advocates warned, it would "financially ruin" the entire AI industry.
Terms of the Settlement
It’s unclear if the class certification prompted the settlement or what terms authors agreed to, but according to court filings, the settlement terms are binding. A lawyer representing authors, Justin A. Nelson, told Ars that more details would be revealed soon, and he confirmed that the suing authors are claiming a win for possibly millions of class members. "This historic settlement will benefit all class members," Nelson said. "We look forward to announcing details of the settlement in the coming weeks."
Reaction from Anthropic
Ars could not immediately reach Anthropic for comment, but Anthropic had previously argued that the lawsuit could doom the emerging company, which was started by former OpenAI employees in 2021. The company’s reaction to the settlement is still unknown, but it is expected to make a statement soon.
Conclusion
The expected settlement in the class-action lawsuit over Anthropic’s AI training data is a significant development in the AI industry. The terms of the settlement are still unknown, but it is expected to benefit millions of authors who were affected by Anthropic’s actions. The settlement is a win for the authors and a significant step forward in protecting the rights of creators in the age of AI.
FAQs
Q: What is the lawsuit about?
A: The lawsuit is about Anthropic’s use of AI training data, which was allegedly obtained illegally.
Q: How many claimants are involved in the lawsuit?
A: Up to 7 million claimants are involved in the lawsuit.
Q: What is the expected outcome of the settlement?
A: The settlement is expected to benefit all class members, which includes millions of authors.
Q: When will the details of the settlement be revealed?
A: The details of the settlement will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Q: How will the settlement affect the AI industry?
A: The settlement is expected to have a significant impact on the AI industry, particularly in terms of protecting the rights of creators.
