Generative AI Tools: Testing Bounds of Tech Liability Shield

An Interesting Story: AI Generated News Articles

In 2019, OpenAI, a research lab based in San Francisco, released an AI language model called GPT-2. This model was trained on a vast amount of text data, and could generate coherent paragraphs of text that were often indistinguishable from those written by humans.

One of the potential applications of GPT-2 was to generate news articles. However, OpenAI decided not to release the full version of the model due to concerns about the potential misuse of the technology. They feared that the model could be used to spread disinformation or create fake news at a scale that was unprecedented.

Despite these concerns, independent researchers were able to train their own versions of GPT-2, and some of them began experimenting with generating news articles. In some cases, these articles were published on websites or social media platforms without any indication that they were generated by AI.

The Potential of Generative AI Tools

The case of GPT-2 and AI generated news articles illustrates the potential of generative AI tools to test the bounds of the tech liability shield. The tech liability shield, or Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, is a legal provision that shields online platforms from legal responsibility for user generated content. This provision has been instrumental in the growth of the internet, but it is increasingly being challenged due to concerns about the spread of hate speech, propaganda, and other harmful content.

Generative AI tools like GPT-2 have the potential to create a new kind of user generated content that blurs the line between human and machine generated content. As AI becomes more advanced, it is likely that we will see more and more examples of AI generated content, and it is not clear how the tech liability shield will apply to this new kind of content.

Quantifiable Examples: Deepfakes and Bot Accounts

Two examples of generative AI tools that are already challenging the tech liability shield are deepfakes and bot accounts. Deepfakes are videos that use AI to manipulate faces and voices to create realistic, but fake, videos of people saying or doing things that they didn't actually do. Bot accounts are automated accounts on social media platforms that are often used to spread propaganda and disinformation.

In both cases, there are questions about the legal liability of the platforms that host these kinds of content. Should social media platforms be held responsible for the spread of deepfakes or the actions of bot accounts? These are complex questions that do not have clear answers.

Conclusion: Testing the Bounds of Tech Liability Shield

Generative AI tools like GPT-2, deepfakes, and bot accounts are challenging the tech liability shield in ways that were not anticipated when the law was first passed. Here are three key takeaways from this article:

• Generative AI tools are creating a new kind of user generated content that blurs the line between human and machine generated content.
• The tech liability shield may not apply to this new kind of content in the same way that it applies to traditional user generated content.
• We need to start thinking about legal and ethical frameworks for AI generated content that take into account the potential risks and harms that these technologies can create.

"As AI becomes more advanced, it is important that we have a better understanding of the potential consequences and liability of the technologies that we create."

Practical Tips for Addressing AI Liability

• Develop clear frameworks for assessing the liability of AI technologies.
• Establish guidelines for the ethical and responsible use of generative AI tools.
• Encourage collaboration between the legal, technology, and policy communities to address emerging issues related to AI liability.