"Independents' Day" Spotlights How Big Tech
& AI Threatens the Livelihoods of Creators Across the
Nation
NEW
YORK, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Raptive, the
creator media company, today is hosting "Independents' Day" on
Capitol Hill, an event that connects the nation's independent
content creators to lawmakers in Washington, D.C. Raptive is creating awareness
amongst elected officials of the adverse effects of AI products
that are being developed by Google, Open AI, and other big tech
companies. 13,000 Raptive creators and their supporters have signed
a public letter to the U.S. Congress asking elected officials to
address the harm that AI is causing to creators by scraping their
copyrighted work without permission. The company is advocating the
use of existing frameworks to enforce fair use, promote
competition, and protect fair compensation.
The creator economy in the U.S., currently valued at
$100 billion, is projected to reach
$192 billion by 2027. Independent
creators generate valuable content for the websites they own and
operate, contributing billions in revenue and supporting jobs in
every state in the U.S. Despite AI's benefits, 92% of creators fear
its negative impacts. AI's rapid development threatens to reduce
the income of independent content creators by between 25–50%,
which could have a hugely harmful effect on their livelihoods.
Public support for intervention from policymakers to protect
creators is strong, with 72% backing measures to limit AI's
influence.*
To safeguard the independent creator economy, the 13,000
creators, their supporters, and Raptive are asking the following of
elected officials today on Capitol Hill:
- Enforce copyright laws: Protecting intellectual property
is paramount to ensure creators retain ownership and control over
their content.
- Encourage revenue-sharing and licensing: AI
companies must adopt fair practices that compensate creators for
using their content in training AI models.
- Ensure ethical AI product design: AI-powered search
products should not diminish traffic to the original content
creators who fuel these technologies.
- Create a level playing field: Future AI products must
not unfairly compete against content creators.
- Hold big tech accountable: Anti-competitive behavior
must be identified and addressed.
"Policymakers in Washington,
D.C. must understand how the AI being developed and
implemented by companies like Google will negatively impact their
own constituents. In an election year, millions of small business
owners across the country face an existential threat to their
livelihoods as their original content is scraped and reused to
build new products. This is being done without consent or
compensation, unleashing a major threat to a free and open
internet," said Lisa Bryan, founder
of Downshiftology. "I stand with Raptive in demanding rights and
protections for independent publishers, creators, and business
owners."
"Raptive's 5,200 creators alone have produced 25 million pieces
of copyright-protected content— which was all scraped to build new
AI products without consent or compensation," said Raptive
CEO Michael Sanchez. "These small businesses have done the work
that makes the internet the essential resource we rely upon and
love. Yet these new AI products — from OpenAI, Google, and others —
take revenue and original content from publishers and creators and
give nothing in return. This is deeply wrong. We're on Capitol Hill
today with independent creators to make our voices heard and to
ensure we protect their livelihoods from the threat of unchecked AI
development."
About Raptive
Raptive is a new kind of media company
built for content creators and is home to one of the largest and
most diverse audiences on the internet. Raptive combines its
position as the world's largest ad management platform with a
comprehensive suite of monetization, audience, and business
solutions that enable creators to turn their passions and talents
into thriving independent companies and enduring brands. This
creator-first model has paid creators $2.5
billion and propelled Raptive to become a top 10 online
media property globally and #1 in Food, Family, Home, and
Lifestyle. Raptive is the premium partner to advertisers seeking
authentic engagement with diverse and passionate audiences. To
learn more about Raptive's efforts to build a sustainable future
for the internet, visit Raptive.com.
*News Media Alliance (NMA) Survey conducted in February 2024
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SOURCE Raptive