Startup Helps Authors License Work to AI, Navigating Rights in New Era

A startup called Created by Humans is launching to help book authors license their work to AI companies, aiming to create a framework for AI rights and broker deals between authors, publishers, and AI firms.

Filling a void in the market: Created by Humans seeks to address the lack of universal permissioning and monetization systems for creative content used to train large language models:

• The startup is one of several emerging to help creators navigate the complex landscape of licensing their work for use in AI technologies.
• Co-founder and CEO Trip Adler brings years of experience working with book authors as the head of Scribd, giving him valuable insights into the needs and challenges of creators in this space.

Expanding beyond books: While initially focused on book authors, Created by Humans plans to eventually branch out into music and video rights:

• This expansion reflects the growing need for rights management solutions across various creative industries as AI technologies increasingly leverage diverse types of content for training and development.
• Recent lawsuits by record labels against AI startups over copyright infringement underscore the importance of establishing clear licensing frameworks for music and other creative works.

Attracting notable investors and advisors: Created by Humans has raised over $5 million in seed funding from prominent investors and secured the support of influential figures in the creative world:

• The startup’s investors include well-known venture capital firms such as Craft Ventures, Floodgate, and Slow Ventures, as well as angel investor and OpenAI CEO Garry Tan.
• Journalist and author Walter Isaacson has joined the company as a creative adviser and “founding author,” lending his expertise and credibility to the platform.

Empowering creators in the AI era: Created by Humans aims to give authors greater control over their work and ensure they are fairly compensated for its use in AI applications:

• Isaacson emphasizes the startup’s focus on addressing key challenges for authors, including control over how their work is used, the accuracy of AI-generated outputs referencing their content, and proper compensation.
• By creating a “proprietary framework for AI rights,” Created by Humans hopes to level the playing field for creators who may not have the scale or resources to negotiate deals directly with AI companies.

Analyzing the bigger picture: As AI continues to advance and integrate more deeply with creative industries, startups like Created by Humans will play an increasingly crucial role in helping creators navigate this complex landscape:

• The emergence of such platforms highlights the need for a more standardized, streamlined approach to licensing creative content for use in AI technologies.
• While Created by Humans’ focus on empowering individual creators is commendable, questions remain about how these efforts will intersect with larger industry-wide initiatives and the evolving legal and regulatory framework surrounding AI and intellectual property rights.
• As more players enter this space, it will be important to monitor how these various solutions and approaches coalesce and whether they ultimately lead to a more equitable and sustainable ecosystem for creators in the age of AI.