OpenAI’s “media manager” will let creators choose how their content is used in AI training

OpenAI is addressing concerns about the methods it uses to train its generative models. In a blog post, the Microsoft-backed tech firm discussed Media Manager, an upcoming tool that will allow creators and content owners to decide if and how their work is used in the context of AI training and research.

Media Manager will serve as OpenAI’s response to the criticisms it has received over its web scraping practices. Its generative AI programs, including the groundbreaking chatbot ChatGPT, have ushered in a paradigm shift in the world of consumer tech. But as those products have rolled out, third parties have accused OpenAI of skirting ownership laws. Shortly after the introduction of the generative video service Sora, YouTube argued that OpenAI broke rules by using its videos as training tools. More recently, newspapers like the Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News sued OpenAI and Microsoft over alleged copyright infringements.

The Media Manager will address some of those problems by letting creators opt out of OpenAI’s training processes. “We believe AI systems should benefit and respect the choices of creators and content owners,” reads the blog post

. “We’re continually improving our industry-leading systems to reflect content owner preferences, and are dedicated to building products and business models to fuel vibrant ecosystems for creators and publishers.”

Before the Media Manager can go live, OpenAI will need to build a “first-ever tool of its kind” that will identify copyrighted material across multiple sources and will reflect each creator’s training preferences. That development process will take some time, so OpenAI is planning to launch Media Manager “by 2025,” with “additional choices and features” arriving later on.

The launch of the Media Manager will be an important step for OpenAI, which sees itself as a potential player in the entertainment business. CEO Sam Altman has attempted to sell Hollywood execs on the creative possibilities enabled by his company’s products, even though the 2023 Hollywood strikes showed that many film and TV professionals are worried about how ChatGPT and its ilk could impact their livelihoods. OpenAI will look to flip that script when it introduces its Media Manager next year.