On ownership and copyright
At iO, we understand that deploying AI for your customers goes beyond technology; it requires a keen eye for data agreements, copyright, and privacy laws. Data drives AI but handling that data correctly and responsibly is crucial.
How do you ensure that data is used safely and responsibly? What are the rules around copyright when using AI to create content for your customers, and how do you ensure the privacy of all involved?
At iO, we know the legislation inside out and keep a close eye on every change. Working with our clients, we ensure that AI-driven projects are not only innovative, but also legally watertight and ethical.
Make these 5 clear agreements regarding data use
One rule of thumb when working with AI for a client? Make clear agreements in advance about your handling of data. Here are the five key points to discuss:
What data will you use? Clearly agree on exactly what data you need and why. This could include customer data, sales figures, or other information. Make sure the client understands what data you want to use and how it contributes to the project.
Who has access to that data? Discuss who will have access to the data. This could be just you and your team, or also third parties involved in the project. It is important that the client knows who is working with their data.
How will the data be secured? Explain what measures you take to keep the data secure, such as encrypting data or restricting access. This shows that you take privacy and security seriously.
How long do you keep the data? Make clear agreements about how long you retain data. The data may be deleted immediately after the project, or you may store it for a while for possible updates or further analysis.
What happens to the data after the project? Make sure the client knows what happens to the data once the project is complete. Will everything be destroyed, anonymised, or can the data be reused?
Good agreements not only help you gain trust, but also ensure that your AI projects run smoothly. It also prevents you from breaking prevailing laws and regulations.
What about copyright?
In the European Union, there are no clear answers to this question yet. Often, copyright issues are considered individually and country by country.
Still, it is safer to use only the data, texts, images, or music that you have explicit permission for. If you are training an AI model with existing data, you need assurance that you can use that data effectively.
It is best to establish contractually who owns the content generated by the AI system. When AI creates new content, such as texts or images, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether these are copyrighted.
Do you or your client want to claim copyright for AI-generated work themselves? You can, but it must meet two conditions:
Your creation - meaning the text or image - must have its own original character. So it should not simply be copied from something else.
Your creation should bear the creator's personal stamp, meaning creative human choices.
Therefore, the open nature of these terms makes it quite easy to copyright images even if they are created with AI.
At iO, we have set up our own local, secure, version of ChatGPT so that sensitive data can never flow into the OpenAI training model.