Not all AI models are trained exactly the same, and a new nonprofit, Fairly Trained, now offers paid certification for models that meet specific requirements. The most important: that copyright holders have given consent for training. The effort is supported by the Association of American Publishers, Universal Music Group, and the Association of Independent Music Publishers—a rather small list thus far.
Will this certification matter to consumers? (When you buy coffee or chocolate, do you only buy fair trade?) This effort may be short lived and likely to become obsolete, not least because the field is transforming too quickly. For now, perhaps it’s useful as a shaming tactic, although not a very good one. The leader in this space, OpenAI, continues advancing its models trained on copyrighted material without consent or licensing. It’s not likely their strategy will be affected by this kind of certification. However, nine companies (mostly in the music space) have paid for the Fairly Trained certification.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
