We have come a long way from asking questions like “what can AI even do” to relying on it for our entire operations. Using AI is easy, relaxing, and fun, and most importantly, it saves a lot of money. But is it okay for us to relax now? Have we reached a point where our system is safe from any visible and invisible risk of AI content?
Or are we too comfortable in not knowing, as sometimes ignorance is about scalability, saving money, and keeping up with the business demands?
Needless to say, like any other setup on the planet, artificial intelligence comes with its own pieces of baggage. As a modern-day marketer or a student, it is non-negotiable that you familiarize yourself with these risks. The more you are aware, the more you can protect your content and credibility.
You must remember that you can always get ahead of your conscience, but there is never going to be a time when you will have an upper hand over the legal penalties. Read along to find out how AI can pose legal repercussions, cultural misinformation, and a major ethical dilemma if not used wisely.
Legal Risks of AI-Generated Content
The current market standard asserts that an ideal AI tool is the one that replicates human creativity the best. It operates on a model that makes differentiating AI-generated content and human creativity a rigorous task.
As a concept, it sounds exciting since it means less manual and intellectual labour on our end. I mean, who doesn’t want to generate a high-quality blog that only requires a click?
But, the moment we start asking the important questions, such as: How are AI companies upgrading their models? How does AI know how we write, draw, and create as humans? This is where the concern begins.
Intellectual Property Rights
Intellectual property rights or copyright infringement in training data refers to the very basics of AI. Everyone knows that AI is being trained on the work that we write, click, or create. To mimic human nuances, it needs to understand how we do it in the first place.
But what if I don’t want to use my work and train it? Who sets the boundaries of scrapping real-life work of people to help develop an AI model?
🚨This is exactly what happened in the Getty Images Vs Stability AI case. Getty, representing nearly 600,000 creators around the world, says Stability AI used its copyrighted photos to train an image-generating AI without permission.
Here is the problem with artificial intelligence: model training can also be seen as a reproduction and can lead to copyright infringement. This enables the rights-holders to allege any potential misuse of the work. This is most definitely a relief for a creator, but if you are on the other side, you can land in some serious legal trouble.
Ownership & Authorship Ambiguity
Have you ever wondered, if you generate an image using ChatGPT or write a blog, who owns the work? Is it with you or with the developers at OpenAI?
The legal framework refuses to acknowledge AI as worthy of authorship and insists that it should always be a human.
Now, consider this situation: the artwork you create or the blog you write with AI, who is the immediate human that gets the credit? You or the developers who help build the tool.
💡Quick Fact: The recent case of Thaler v. Perlmutter highlights that we are yet to achieve a sustainable setup with the legal framework involving AI. It was when Dr. Stephen Thaler's application to register copyright for an AI-generated artwork, the 'Creativity Machine,' as its author was subsequently turned down by the law.
Derivative Works & Substantial Similarity
AI-generated content operates by mimicking our work and behaviour. This sounds assuring, but only when you are trying to sell the tool. In the real world, there can be repercussions when your product generates similar pieces.
This is where the concept of infringing derivative work comes in and can cause serious legal troubles if not taken care of. The US court has declared that any derivative work, meaning work inspired or copied from a sample, needs to have the copyright owner’s consent, or it is infringement.
Liability Risks
Liability is another AI copyright concern, as we don’t really know who to blame in the case of AI going rogue. Every AI model has a probability of malfunctioning and can lead to copyright issues, spreading misinformation, hatred, and causing damage. So, in a citation like this, the liability is solely with the human.
But, this loophole has another layer to it, and we need to be prepared for providers shifting liabilities to developers and so on. In some cases, terms of service explicitly deny responsibility, pushing accountability down the chain.
The thing is, as AI becomes more autonomous, the legal grey area around its liability will only grow and become more intense. Hence, it is critical that we keep our eyes open to understand the same.
Cultural Landmines: When AI Gets It Wrong
AI has no idea of the wars we fought or are fighting every day to have equal and rightful representation. It doesn’t know the pride and sensitivity we have towards our culture, and sometimes relying on it can be like stepping on a landmine.
As a brand or writer, if you are ever found to give out a culturally insensitive message, not only is it embarrassing, but it also alienates your audience and damages your entire reputation. The idea is to understand the ethics behind the operation and then formulate a plan accordingly.
AI’s Limited Understanding of Local Context
This is where the problem begins, as AI is capable of understanding words but not the deep-rooted cultural significance behind them. So the basis of language, like idioms, humor, or cultural references, can always be misinterpreted by AI, depending on the region it gets trained in.
For example, an artificial intelligence model trained by Western-centric datasets can show hints of colourism, bias, racial profiling, or even cultural caricatures, as this is all it knows. AI doesn’t read the news to gain perspective or mingle with the minorities; all it knows are its datasets.
We all know how Google got penalized for offensive labels like “Monkey” or “Gorilla” by the Google Photos App, or how Amazon’s AI was biased and only preferred male resumes. But the wrath of cultural ignorance doesn’t stop here and can lead to more real-world harms like how Google’s Gemini was found to generate pictures of people from African and Asian in Nazi uniforms.
This is where using AI becomes risky when you think about the bigger picture. If a company like Google, which has access to massive datasets, can falter, how does one rely on a homegrown model?
Ethical Issues in AI Content Creation
Ever since AI has made its presence felt, we have been constantly asking the same question: Is the use of AI ethical? But along with that, we keep pushing for scalability and efficiency to a point where the lines seem to blur.
To begin with, the issue of infringement or copyright is a threat, no doubt, but the ongoing issue with AI seems to keep getting more intense. Take the Deepfake videos, for example where advanced AI models can create highly realistic but fake images, audio, and videos of people saying or doing things they never did.
Or, there is also a probability of fake citations and information that can threaten academic integrity, journalistic standards, and our ability to decipher the truth. To put it simply, the unchecked use of AI can lead to real-world harms and can even be life-threatening.
This lack of transparency and accountability in the use of artificial intelligence makes us wonder if there is a way around for us in all this.
Why Human Oversight Is Non-Negotiable
At this point, not relying on AI for that much-needed push and efficiency feels like losing out on a lot. I mean, doing days of research in seconds or writing one SEO optimized blog after the other, no one wants to say goodbye to all that.
But using AI has its challenges, especially if it’s left unchecked to function on its own. It can lead to damage that can take down your entire online presence. However, things don’t have to be this way if the real control lies within you.
The idea is to let AI know what needs to be done and take control of the dynamic from then on to assess the work generated by it. A safe content strategy is not always about pushing for scalability, but it’s also about knowing when to use AI and when not to.
🔊Quick Note: The cheat code here is to understand that you are responsible to take the best from AI and add your insights to produce an ideal piece of content.
- If AI is offering speed and efficiency, you should check for the originality of the content.
- The tone sounds too robotic and off? There is always a tool like Humanize AI to fix it for you and help you sound authentic.
- Trying out a new AI tool, make sure you check for all the cultural nuances and practices to build the best online presence.
- You must remember that AI models, even the most advanced ones, can sometimes "hallucinate,” so it's up to you to get the facts right always.
The Path Forward: Responsible AI in Content Creation
If you are using AI for its accessibility and efficiency, you cannot ignore the weight of its credibility. If you look at the path forward, it’s not only about using AI but also about understanding its repercussions.
It’s about understanding that there is a lot at stake with accuracy, originality, or ethical integrity, people, communities, and truths, and it’s not limited to productivity only.
Responsible AI use means recognizing that these stakes are real and hence finding a solution where we have an upper hand to control the outcome. You must remember that, unlike a missed typo or a weak headline, these aren’t just minor slip-ups you can fix with a quick edit.
When AI-generated content oversimplifies cultures, reinforces stereotypes, or gets things wrong about people and communities, it causes real harm.
FAQ
Who Is Responsible For AI-generated Content And Its Legal Implications?
In most cases, the legal implications of AI-generated content fall on the user. Since AI is a non-legal entity, any slip-up makes you responsible, and it's up to you to ensure it doesn’t infringe copyright, spread misinformation, or violate any laws.
How To Avoid Cultural Bias And Ethical Issues In AI-generated Content?
The ideal way to avoid cultural bias and ethical issues in AI-generated content is to make sure there is always a human oversight. AI is not aware of our cultural nuances or how it feels to be a victim of cultural insensitivity. So, it is up to you to take charge and prevent cultural insensitivity or bias.
What Are AI Hallucinations, And How To Fact-check AI Content?
AI hallucinations are misguided facts generated by an AI tool owing to the datasets it was trained on. So it is up to you to review or double-check any statistics, quotes, or claims generated by AI and avoid hallucinations.
What’s The Best Way To Use AI In Content Creation Without Legal Or Ethical Risks?
To avoid the invisible risk of AI content, all you need to do is let AI be a handy assistant rather than the one controlling your strategy. The best way to use AI in content creation is to realize it was never meant to be a replacement. For example, let AI generate and write, and you edit, validate, and rewrite whenever required.