The massive Hollywood database being used to train the biggest AI models

The rapid adoption of movie and TV show dialogue for AI training has sparked controversy in Hollywood, raising questions about copyright, consent, and the future of creative work.

The scope of unauthorized data usage: A massive collection of subtitles from over 53,000 movies and 85,000 TV episodes has been utilized by major tech companies including Apple, Anthropic, Meta, and Nvidia to train their AI systems.

• The dataset includes dialogue from iconic shows like The Simpsons, Seinfeld, The Wire, and Breaking Bad, as well as every Best Picture nominee from 1950 to 2016
• Even pre-written dialogue from awards shows like the Golden Globes and Academy Awards has been incorporated
• The subtitles were sourced from OpenSubtitles.org, where users extract and upload subtitle files from various media formats

Technical implementation: The subtitle dataset provides AI systems with natural conversational patterns and speaking styles that are difficult to source elsewhere.

• The collection exists as a 14-gigabyte text file containing unattributed dialogue lines
• The data is part of a larger training collection called “The Pile,” which includes books, patents, and other text sources
• Companies value this data because it helps AI systems develop more natural conversational abilities

Corporate response and transparency: Major tech companies have largely avoided directly addressing their use of this unauthorized content.

• Anthropic acknowledged using “The Pile” dataset but provided no further comment
• Salesforce and Apple claimed their use was limited to research purposes, though their models remain available to developers
• Several companies, including Nvidia and Bloomberg, declined to comment or did not respond to inquiries

Legal and ethical implications: The unauthorized use of creative content for AI training has sparked significant debate and legal challenges.

• Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan has described generative AI as “an extraordinarily complex and energy-intensive form of plagiarism”
• Multiple lawsuits have been filed by writers, actors, and publishers alleging copyright violations
• Tech companies argue their use falls under “fair use,” though courts have yet to rule on this claim

Future uncertainty: The widespread distribution of this dataset raises complex questions about creative rights and compensation in the AI era.

• The dataset’s original creator, Jörg Tiedemann, intended it for translation purposes, not generative AI
• The accessibility of this data means its use in AI training may be impossible to track or control
• The situation highlights the urgent need for clear guidelines and compensation frameworks for creative professionals whose work is being used to train AI systems