Microsoft has entered into an agreement with HarperCollins that will give the software giant access to content from the publisher to train its AI models. As per the terms of the agreement, the Redmond-based company will only have access to non-fiction titles. HarperCollins further said it is up to the authors to decide whether to participate in the program.
Microsoft stated the content will be used to make its AI model more accurate and intelligent. The company, however, hasn’t divulged any details of the new model, so we don’t know what its capabilities will be like or what function it will serve. However, it did clarify the AI model won’t be trained to generate an entire book using AI. That rules out the creation of new books without human authors.
“Part of our role is to present authors with opportunities for their consideration while simultaneously protecting the underlying value of their works and our shared revenue and royalty streams,” HarperCollins said. “This agreement, with its limited scope and clear guardrails around model output that respects author’s rights, does that.”
HarperCollins further clarified that ‘select backlist non-fiction titles’ would be made available for the training of an AI model. Authors reported having received contract offers from publishers for a deal spanning three years. Author Daniel Kibblesmith shared on social media the AI licensing contract he received from HarperCollins, in which he was offered 2,500 per book for three years.
“I would probably accept a billion dollars. I would accept an amount that would not require me to work anymore because that is the ultimate goal of this technology,” said Daniel Kibblesmith when asked if he was open to accepting the offer.
Microsoft also has an arrangement with Reuters, Hearst, and Axel Springer for content that powers several of its AI ventures. News Corp, the parent company of HarperCollins, is also committed to sharing data with OpenAI. As per the deal signed in May, OpenAI will have access to several HarperCollins publications, including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, The Daily Telegraph, Barron’s, MarketWatch, and others.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
