HarperCollins Requests Authors to Grant Licenses for the Use of Their Books in Artificial Intelligence Training.

HarperCollins has reached an agreement with an unnamed artificial intelligence technology company to allow certain nonfiction titles to be used in training AI models. However, this usage will only occur if the authors choose to participate and give their consent for their books to be used for this purpose. Currently, some authors have filed lawsuits against companies like OpenAI, accusing them of copyright infringement for using their works to train AI models without permission.

In a statement provided to 404 Media, HarperCollins emphasized that the agreement protects the "underlying value of the authors' works and our shared income and royalties." For example, author Daniel Kibblesmith shared screenshots of an email indicating that he would receive $2,500 if he consented to one of his books being licensed.

The full text of the statement notes that HarperCollins has established an agreement with an artificial intelligence technology company to allow the limited use of certain titles from its nonfiction catalog for the purpose of training AI models, thereby improving the quality and performance of such models. The company underscores that, while it considers this agreement attractive, it respects the diverse opinions of its authors, who have the option to opt in or out.

HarperCollins has a long history of innovation and experimentation with new business models. Part of its mission is to offer authors opportunities for consideration while protecting the value and rights of their works, as well as their income and royalties. This agreement, by its restricted nature and with clear regulations regarding the output of models that respect authors' rights, aligns with these objectives.

HarperCollins has not yet responded to a request for comment on this matter.