Publisher AI training data woes, a high-profile X-it, and Google's AI bot chicanery under fire

The science preventing AI Large Language Models from getting any better, the rising value of publisher data, and John Lennon's mystic revival - all in this week's Content Aware media news.

Published: 17:47, 14 November 2024

Last updated: 17:55, 14 November 2024

Corbidge comments on...the diminishing value of "training data"
Publishers are (rightly) assuming that future content deals with LLM-makers for top-grade content are worth more than those for junk content from spam sites. But what if the science makes all content worth, err... not much? Our resident feather ruffler Rob looks at the ticking clock of AI advancement.
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NYC Judge dismisses OpenAI copyright lawsuit
A New York judge has dismissed a case brought by Raw Story and AlterNet against OpenAI for copyright infringement, on non-IP grounds - they failed to prove 'injury'. While the ruling may lead to disappointment within publishing circles, it does not necessarily lead to all other cases in the state going the same way; NYC is where the New York Times is mounting its big case against OpenAI, seen as a trailblazer for the industry in the US.
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AI giants over-rely on publisher content
A Ziff Davis study reveals that AI companies like OpenAI and Google rely much more heavily on publisher content to train their models than they disclose. As expected, this has enraged publishers yet more over copyright theft, as the findings magnify previous research that AI firms depend on publisher content for both current and future models.
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Google's bot extortion
Renewed attention on the (in our view) monopoly-defining Google requirement which says you must allow its AI content scraping bot to access your site alongside its search engine bot, or you effectively disappear your business from search results. It's back in the limelight again after it started monetising publisher content in AI Overviews without compensation. Google takes with one hand, and also the other!
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Popular AI shocker
The Beatles' "Now and Then" has been nominated for two Grammys, 50 years after their breakup. The track, made possible by AI technology that isolated John Lennon's vocals from a 1970s demo, is considered the band's final song and marks a surprising return thanks to modern technology.
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AI firms missing the point
What's preventing more widespread adoption of AI by the publishing and media industries? Our very own Rich Fairbairn talks about the unique challenges publishers and media face when it comes to AI content.
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Chegg v ChatGPT: a dismal tale
Chegg, once a leading edtech platform, has seen its value plummet by 99% due to the rise of free AI tools like ChatGPT. Chegg's decline paints a cautionary tale about the risks of relying on AI tools without fully adapting to an evolving market.
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Google November 2024 Core Update: what we know so far
The November 2024 core update, which began on the 11th, brings in some mixed reactions, with some sites seeing further ranking drops, while others report no changes yet. It claims to prioritise genuinely useful content over SEO-driven content. As always, check your traffic graphs.
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Bluesky gains 700K users, closing in on Threads
"Not X" Bluesky added 700K users in a week to reach 14.5 million total, making it the second most popular social app in the US. Alongside recent updates and the decentralised nature which seem to be attracting users seeking alternatives to X and Threads, Bluesky's appeal lies in its more open, user-driven approach.
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Guardian's X-it
The Guardian has dropped X due to its concerns over harmful content and nuttery, turning off its route to a total of 27m followers across all its official accounts. The decision highlights a broader trend of media organisations reassessing their engagement with and from social media platforms.
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