Major web publishers, including Reddit, Yahoo, and Medium, have launched an initiative called Real Simple Licensing (RSL) – a new protocol that sets payment terms for AI companies using their content to train models.
RSL builds on the existing robots.txt format, allowing publishers to clearly define licensing options – ranging from free use to a pay-per-crawl model.
To negotiate collectively with AI firms, a nonprofit organization called the RSL Collective has been established, modeled after music royalty groups like ASCAP and BMI. Technical development is led by Eckart Walther, co-creator of RSS, adding further weight and credibility to the initiative.
Interestingly, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has endorsed the initiative, despite his company already having multimillion-dollar licensing deals with OpenAI and Google worth around $60 million annually.
This move highlights how publishers are increasingly turning to the music industry’s royalty model, creating a marketplace where both sides benefit – AI firms gain legal clarity and streamlined licensing, while web publishers finally monetize content that was previously used for free in model training. However, major challenges remain in enforcement and widespread adoption of this standard.
In brief: Tech World Highlights
- OpenAI reports that ChatGPT receives 2.5 billion requests per day globally, with 330 million coming from the U.S. alone.
- Defense startup Hadrian has raised $260M in a Series C round led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund.
- Social collage platform Zeen, once popular among Gen-Z users, is shutting down, according to Business Insider.
- Elon Musk announced that his AI startup xAI will develop a child-friendly version of its chatbot, named “Baby Grok.”
- DuckDuckGo is introducing a new option allowing users to filter AI-generated images from search results, following user feedback.
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