https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2023/05/15/chatgpt-artificial-intelligence-theft-245283 Skip to main content Top Left Menu * Explore * Donate America Magazine Logo Top Right Menu * For You * Log In * Account + Newsletters + Profile + Logout * Subscribe Megamenu Mobile Insert * Donate * For You * Subscribe Megamenu Left Menu * Who We Are * Podcasts * Video * Writers * Print Issues * Events * Classifieds * Search * Newsletters Megamenu Right Menu * Politics & Society + US Politics + LGBT issues + Pro-Life + Editorials + Catholic Education + Racial Justice + Immigration * Art & Culture + Books + Film + Television + Theater + Poetry + Art + Ideas + Catholic Book Club * Faith + Pope Francis + Liturgy + Bishops + Faith in Focus + Faith and Reason + Women in the Church + The Word + Scripture Megamenu Bottom Menu * Read * Watch * Listen * Lorem Ipsum Loading... Loading... Click here if you don't see subscription options FaithShort Take ChatGPT is not 'artificial intelligence.' It's theft. [Jim] Jim McDermottMay 15, 2023 [AIrobot](iStock) Over the last year we have seen an explosion of so-called AI-produced material. First it was wild and incredible works of art, then text documents of every kind, from homilies to academic essays. One of the issues in the current Writers Guild strike is whether studios and networks should be allowed to use programs like ChatGPT to create outlines or full-length scripts, which writers then would simply rewrite or polish. We have labeled the programs that do this work "artificial intelligence." And on the surface, the reality of that concept has never seemed more persuasive. These programs generate complete and seemingly original works in an instant. They can also communicate with a person in a way that resembles actual conversation. In a way, ChatGPT and its ilk are the highest form of separating laborers from the fruit of their labor. But in fact, for the time being anyway, these programs are not sentient but just a very complex form of the kind of predictive text bot you find using Gmail or Google docs. ChatGPT-3, for instance, was trained on and is informed by 500 billion "tokens"--words or phrases culled from books, articles and the internet through which it interprets and responds to the prompts given to it. (You'll also hear this referred to as "large language model" machine learning.) Where Google docs might suggest the rest of a phrase when you start typing the first word, ChatGPT has so much data at its disposal it can suggest a whole paragraph or essay. And it continues to learn and develop from the data that we enter and responses that they get. Now, you might say, why make a big fuss about what we call this? No one is claiming that ChatGPT is C-3PO or that we are approaching the singularity. Chill out. But in calling these programs "artificial intelligence" we grant them a claim to authorship that is simply untrue. Each of those tokens used by programs like ChatGPT--the "language" in their "large language model"--represents a tiny, tiny piece of material that someone else created. And those authors are not credited for it, paid for it or asked permission for its use. In a sense, these machine-learning bots are actually the most advanced form of a chop shop: They steal material from creators (that is, they use it without permission), cut that material into parts so small that no one can trace them and then repurpose them to form new products. Maybe that sounds silly. We're talking about things like breaking a scene from a play into tiny phrases, not Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams or more recently Ed Sheeran using Marvin Gaye tracks without permission. Where does the principle of fair use come into play when creative products can be sliced into such microscopic units? Some might argue that what ChatGPT does is more akin to Sheeran arguing that he's just taking building blocks and using them in new ways. But I don't know. "To be or not to be" or "Attention must be paid" certainly seem like someone's intellectual property. It is important to remember these program algorithms are predictive--that is, they're meant to think about their tokens in relationship to each other. It makes sense that, having been given a thousand tokens from a great writer like Toni Morrison or Stephen King, bots like this would be able to either reproduce or repurpose those authors' voices, ways of thinking and turns of phrase. What we face in dealing with programs like ChatGPT is the further relentless corrosiveness of late-stage capitalism, in which authorship is of no value. All that matters is content. And once again, this has all been done without anyone ever having obtained those writers' permission to allow their work to help inform the program's output. A number of such art-based programs are currently facing lawsuits over claims that their databases of billions of copyrighted images, which are then "diffused" to create new images, constitute copyright infringement. (There's also a case currently before the Supreme Court considering when the use of another artist's material becomes transformative instead of theft.) In a way, ChatGPT and its ilk are the highest form of separating laborers from the fruit of their labor. We get an answer or piece of art from a predictive text bot and the original articles and ideas from which they were generated are so far removed that even those creators themselves don't realize they have been stolen from. In fact, they themselves might join those who think that argument is absurd. Which is kind of like admiring somebody's souped-up hot rod when a tiny part of its hood (or engine design) was stolen from your car. Back in the day, programs like Napster had everyone believing that we shouldn't have to pay for music. If I own something, why shouldn't I be able to share it with whoever I want? Even today, it remains hard to convince some that there's anything wrong with illegally downloading the latest music from Lizzo or a bootleg of "Guardians of the Galaxy 3." Those same people will insist without irony that they are those artists' biggest fans. The same is already true with these predictive algorithms. We are so enthralled by what they can do, or the social goods they seem poised to offer, we don't want to examine where all of this material is actually coming from. Rather than pointing to some future utopia (or robots vs. humans dystopia), what we face in dealing with programs like ChatGPT is the further relentless corrosiveness of late-stage capitalism, in which authorship is of no value. All that matters is content. [Read next: "Is ChatGPT here to stay in higher education? Not if teachers resist it."] More: Economics / Social Justice / Technology Jim McDermott Jim McDermott, S.J., is an associate editor at America. @PopCulturPriest Show Comments () Join the conversation: Login or create an account Before you can comment, you need to update your profile to include your first and last name, as required in our comments policy. Then reload this page and you'll be set up for commenting. Update your profile Most popular 1 ChatGPT is not 'artificial intelligence.' It's theft. Jim McDermott 2 Bishop Strickland tweets that he rejects Pope Francis' 'undermining the Deposit of Faith' OSV News 3 The end of an era for the Sisters of Charity of New York Luis Andres Henao - Associated Press 4 A spirituality of moving on Ricardo da Silva, S.J. 5 I never understood devotion to Mary. Then I had a baby. Colleen Dulle [classified] Your source for jobs, books, retreats, and much more. Executive Director of Advancement opportunity for the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus Jobs [] Lay Mission-Helpers Association Volunteer / Vocation [] Springbank Retreat Center for EcoSpirituality and the Arts Retreat Houses, Retreats [] Updated Edition of The Notre Dame Book of Prayer Now Available from Ave Maria Press Ave Maria Press, Books [] God's Song... and How We Sing It Books [] See all Classifieds The latest from america Cesar Chavez's life of prophetic action The combination of religious faith and prophetic political action that marked Cesar Chavez's hunger strikes would become typical of many other moments in his long career as a labor organizer turned American icon. James T. KeaneMay 16, 2023 How neighbors going door-to-door cut crime in a Louisiana city What did four Shreveport neighborhoods with plunging crime rates have in common? They had Friendship Houses, opened and operated by Community Renewal International. Tim MuldoonMay 16, 2023 Survey: Mass attendance drops after Covid, but U.S. Catholics are hopeful for their church The share of Catholics going to Mass even a few times each year has fallen off significantly compared with the number before the Covid pandemic, but U.S. Catholics overall are largely optimistic about their church and its leaders, a new survey finds. Michael J. O'LoughlinMay 16, 2023 New report: German Catholic Church faces major decline in membership, revenue "It's a fact that church attendance has strongly (been) reduced, with a significant and steady decline in priestly vocations and church membership, and an increasing loss of financial income." Jonathan Luxmoore - OSV NewsMay 16, 2023 THE JESUIT REVIEW OF FAITH AND CULTURE Home Footer Menu One * Who We Are * Careers * Writing Guidelines * Privacy Policy * Contact Us Footer Menu Two * Donate * Subscribe * Press Room * Advertise * Classifieds Marketplace * Jesuit Vocations Newsletter sign up Sign up for free Follow us * facebook * twitter * youtube * RSS feed Copyright (c) 2023 America Press Inc. | All Rights Reserved. [INS::INS] x We noticed you haven't confirmed your email address. We ask our visitors to confirm their email to keep your account secure and make sure you're able to receive email from us. You can either click on the link in your confirmation email or simply re-enter your email address below to confirm it. Trouble getting registered? We're sorry registration isn't working smoothly for you. Check out some of the most common solutions, and if those don't fix your issue, contact us at members@americamedia.org. | Close this message Log in to your account Why am I being asked to log in?We ask readers to log in so that we can recognize you as a registered user and give you unrestricted access to our website. You can also manage your account details and your print subscription after logging in. Logging in will also give you access to commenting features on our website.Read more about our privacy policy. | Close this message Create a new account Why am I being asked to create an account?if you are trying to comment, you must log in or set up a new account. this helps us promote a safe and accountable online community, and allows us to update you when other commenters reply to your posts. Read more about our policies | Close this message Good news--this is your 5th America article this month. Register for FREE or log in to continue reading. When you register, you'll get unlimited access to our website and a free subscription to our email newsletter for daily updates with a smart, Catholic take on faith and culture from America. Wondering why we ask for your email, or having trouble registering? Since you're a frequent reader of our website, we want to be able to share even more great America content with you and let you know about more ways to get involved with our media ministry. There's no charge or cost for access to the website, we'll never sell your email and you can unsubscribe at any time. Read more about our privacy policy here. If you're having trouble registering, check out some of the most common solutions, and if those don't fix your issue, please contact us at members@americamedia.org. | Close this message Email[ ] Password reset instructions will be sent to your registered email address. Submit Email or username[ ]Password[ ] Log in * Reset your password Help America keep bringing you stories like this As a frequent reader of our website, you know how important America's voice is in the conversation about the church and the world. We can't do it without you--America Media relies on generous support from our readers. Please visit our membership page to learn how you can invest in our work by subscribing to the magazine or making a donation. If you're already a subscriber or donor, thank you! If you login and register your print subscription number with your account, you'll have unlimited access to the website. Please contact us at members@americamedia.org with any questions. Subscribe Donate Remind me later