By: Cody Pallo
Our society can be particularly unforgiving toward creatives. It’s perplexing that while countless innovations stem from the minds of artists and thinkers, the legal system provides little protection for the ideas themselves. You can’t patent, copyright, or trademark an idea, no matter how groundbreaking or original it may be. This limitation extends to AI-assisted works as well; despite the time and effort put into crafting these pieces, the creators often find themselves with no ownership over the complex thoughts their organic human brains produced.
This lack of protection raises questions about humanity’s obsession with physicality. We seem to value only what can be touched, held, or reproduced, disregarding the intangible yet profound nature of ideas. To me, ideas are the essence of human creativity, the most distinct aspect of our creative endeavors. Time and labor don’t define the quality or value of art—it's the unique concepts and perspectives that make a piece truly extraordinary.
Adding to this, there’s a troubling aspect to how AI models are trained. Every prompt, every idea fed into these systems contributes to their learning, often without any compensation to the original creator. In fact, many of us pay to use these tools, essentially funding the development of models that will eventually compete with human creativity. This practice feels like a one-sided transaction where the value generated from our ideas flows to corporations with little return to the individual.
Looking at the broader picture, this situation could have significant economic implications. We’re witnessing the rise of startups with pre-monopoly practices, leveraging our ideas to build models that dominate the market. If left unchecked, this could disrupt our entire economic system in the future, creating an imbalance where creativity and innovation are undervalued and under-compensated. It’s a complex issue that demands careful consideration and action to ensure that the rights of creatives are protected in this rapidly evolving landscape.