OpenAI’s ChatGPT has updated its policies to prevent users from generating text that directly mimics the style of famous authors. When asked to do so, the popular large language model (LLM) instead offers responses that draw on the 'broad qualities' of those authors 'while remaining distinct in its own voice.' For example, when prompted to write a story introduction in the style of Stephen King, ChatGPT responded, 'I can definitely write with the hallmarks of atmospheric, character-driven horror and small-town dread, but I can’t write in Stephen King’s exact style or closely imitate his distinctive voice.' This change marks a shift in how the model handles style-mimicry requests, according to recent testing and analysis.
In testing, ChatGPT generated similar responses for other authors, both living and deceased. An analysis by No Latency earlier this month found the same behavior for living authors but noted that ChatGPT complied with style-copying requests for deceased authors. The model now offers to capture an overall 'feeling' by incorporating some of the common features found in those authors’ work. This subtle change could have legal implications as OpenAI faces multiple lawsuits alleging copyright infringement by models trained on copyrighted material. One of these suits specifically cited ChatGPT’s 'uncanny ability to generate text similar to that found in copyrighted textual materials.'
The shift reflects broader concerns about AI-generated content and its potential to infringe on intellectual property rights. Copyright law in the U.S. protects only the specific expression of an idea, not the more intangible style of an author. However, an AI-generated stylistic imitation could become infringing if it becomes 'substantially similar' to the work of the original author. Legal experts have noted that the ability of AI to imitate personal styles at a high level and at a low cost is a new challenge for copyright law. The Authors Guild also advises writers to 'respect your fellow authors and do not use generative AI to purposely copy or mimic the unique styles, voices, or other distinctive attributes of other writers’ works in ways that harm the value of their works or attempt to profit from them.'
Source: arstechnica
