Former Stability AI VP Launches Copyright-Respecting AI Certification

As the conversation around the ethics of artificial intelligence and copyright continues to escalate, a newly formed non-profit named Fairly Trained has emerged, spearheaded by Ed Newton-Rex, previously Vice President of Audio at Stability AI. Fairly Trained's mission: to assess and certify AI models for their adherence to copyright laws and respect for content creators' rights. Ed Newton-Rex's organization launched this initiative to bring clarity and accountability to the AI industry, particularly for consumers and businesses seeking to use AI ethically.

Introducing Fairly Trained Certification

Fairly Trained unveiled a "Licensed Model" certification program on January 17, resembling organic certifications in food. This certification scrutinizes AI models for the origin of their training data, favoring those with creator consent. It stands as an opposition to the "fair use" stance, which some AI entities adopt to justify using data without explicit permission.

The certification process is designed to serve as a badge of honor for AI companies that procure their training data fairly, as opposed to those scraping data under fair use claims.

Ed Newton-Rex and His Advocacy for Copyright Respect

Newton-Rex, who parted ways with Stability AI over differences in their approach to fair use, has been advocating for creators' rights throughout his career. He helped develop Stable Audio, a music creation platform that collaboratively worked with rights-holders. This venture, among others, highlights Newton-Rex’s commitment to honoring copyright laws and supporting creators in the field of AI. His resignation from Stability AI was fueled by his deep-seated belief that AI's competitive potential against copyrighted works must be handled with respect for the original creators.

Newton-Rex took his concerns public on platforms like LinkedIn, expressing his vision for a future where generative AI models are trained using licensed data, ensuring fairness to the creators.

Equity in AI Training and Support from the Industry

Fairly Trained has already gathered momentum and secured certifications for nine startups, predominantly in sound generation but including one image generator. Companies like Beatoven.AI, Boomy, and BRIA AI have embraced the certification, signaling their commitment to fair practices.

Endorsements also came from industry giants like Universal Music Group, whose SVP, Christopher Horton, highlighted their support for AI uses that foster creativity and respect creator rights. With major organizations backing this initiative, Fairly Trained is poised to usher in a new standard of ethical AI use.

AI, copyright, ethics