story
1. scraping the internet and making AI out of it
2. using the AI from #1 to create another AI
are not the same thing.
So, if you really really care about ToS, then just never enter into a contract with OpenAI. Company A uses OpenAI to generate data and posts it on the open Internet. Company B scrapes open Internet, including the data from Company A [2].
[1]: Ownership of content. As between you and OpenAI, and to the extent permitted by applicable law, you (a) retain your ownership rights in Input and (b) own the Output. We hereby assign to you all our right, title, and interest, if any, in and to Output.
[2]: This is not hypothetical. When ChatGPT got first released, several big AI labs accidentally and not so accidentally trained on the contents of the ShareGPT website (site that was made for sharing ChatGPT outputs). ;)
#2 makes a big corp a bit angry
Indeed not the same thing
But arguably these actions share enough characteristics that it’s reasonable to place them in the same category. Something like: “products that exist largely/solely because of the work of other people”. The nonconsensual nature of this and the lack of compensation is what people understandably take issue with.
There is enough similarity that it evokes specific feelings about OpenAI when they suddenly find themselves on the other side of the situation.
It's funny if OpenAI were to complain about this, but at least on Twitter I don't see that much whining about it from OpenAI employees. Sam publicly praised DeepSeek.
I do see some of them spreading the "they're hiding GPUs they got through sanction evasion" theory, which is disappointing, though.
You’re right. The second one is far more ethical. Especially when stealing from a thief.
Doesn’t Sam Altman keep parroting they’re developing AI “for the good of humanity”? Well then, someone taking their model and improving on it, making it open-source, having it consume less, and having a cheaper API, should make him delighted. Unless he *gasp* was full of shit the whole time. Who could have guessed?
“I don't want to live in a world where someone else makes the world a better place better than we do”
- Gavin Belson
#2 is taking advantages from closedAI.
they are indeed different
2. scraping the AI from #1 and making AI out of it