Blurts

Apple, Amazon, and several other companies that make heavy use of tech have requested that their employees not use services such as ChatGPT and Bard. It is not that these companies are concerned about the use of AI in general, but that the content added in using AI may end up being shared with others.

As a fairly heavy user of these AI tools, I wonder how realistic it is that specific code or concepts are shared per se. OpenAI (ChatGPT) does not continually update its knowledge base and the present build of content ended in 2021. Bard works a little differently. However, there is an interesting issue here. These models are built by scraping web content and collecting ongoing material from users (to be incorporated later in some cases). All of this content is integrated. I do wonder whether there is an issue with material created by a specific user or company, but the general issue of scraping content is clear. Is this different from search engines, which advertise against search returns? Not exactly, the content in search is still sent from the original source to users and the creators can associate this content with ads. The collection of this same content that contributes to the development of an AI knowledge base does not offer any such benefit. What the big companies have noticed is very similar to what any content creator is experiencing.

One of the concerns I have read about large language models (AI such as ChatGPT) is that these services allow the creation of content so easily that the Internet will be flooded with material written for all purposes and of varying quality and individuals will be unable to use what was once a valuable resource effectively. I find this concern a restatement of many original concerns about the Internet and we seem to have survived to this point.

I want to explore the use of AI large language models to offer blog posts. I also want to keep such content separate from my education blogs (LearningAloud and Blurts). I have a Blogger account I have mostly neglected and I have decided to use it for AI generated posts. I want to see how readers react. Will people find it and will they follow what is written there? My idea is address a variety of topics first writing in my own voice about this topic and why it interests me and then offering a post generated with AI services (I identify) addressing this topic.

This AI-generated blog can be found at https://learningaloud.blogspot.com/. I include the following to offer an idea of what this looks like.

Understanding the TEACH Act

As a textbook author, there were some topics I always struggled to write about with confidence. One of these topics is copyright law. My interpretation of aspects of the law that applies to what is shared online appears more conservative than that guiding many who post content online. I have asked lawyers and others presenting about copyright and fair use and often get a glazed look when I cite the provisions of the TEACH Act. My understanding of the TEACH Act suggests that the open Internet is different from the use of the Internet to share with students enrolled in a class. The educator is expected to protect some content by restricting access to actual students. Posting to the open Internet is more like publishing and I would not be allowed to include many types of content in a textbook without consent that I would use as examples in a face-to-face class. My interpretation is that the same is true of posting online for all to view.

I thought I would ask the AI Assistant I use within Obsidian about the TEACH Act and I think “it” agrees with me. In the following material, my prompts are bolded.

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Summarize the TEACH Act

The Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act is a 2002 amendment to the US Copyright Law that permits the use of copyrighted materials for distance and online learning in accredited nonprofit educational institutions. The Act defines the terms and conditions under which copyrighted materials may be used in the classroom and through distance-learning mediums such as the internet, video, and other digital technologies, without explicitly requiring permission from the copyright owner. The Teach Act places certain restrictions and requirements on the institution that wants to avail of its benefits such as providing information on copyright laws and implementing technological measures to prevent unauthorized use or distribution of copyrighted materials. The TEACH Act seeks to balance the rights of copyright owners with the needs of educational institutions and to promote online and distance learning opportunities.

How does the TEACH Act relate to copyright law and fair use?

The TEACH (Technology Education and Copyright Harmonization) Act is a law that aims to balance copyright protection with the use of copyrighted materials in online education. It provides guidelines and limitations for the use of copyrighted materials in distance education settings, such as online courses and virtual classrooms. 

The TEACH Act is related to copyright law and fair use because it provides specific exceptions to copyright infringement for educational purposes. It outlines the conditions under which educators may use copyrighted materials without seeking permission from the copyright holder, such as limited portions of audiovisual works, performances, or displays. In doing so, it aims to promote the use of copyrighted materials for educational purposes, while still respecting the rights of copyright holders. 

The TEACH Act also includes requirements for digital security measures and limitations on the retention and distribution of copyrighted materials to prevent unauthorized access and piracy. These measures ensure that educators are using copyrighted materials in a way that is both legal and ethical. 

Overall, the TEACH Act is an important tool for educators to navigate the complex world of copyright law and fair use in the digital age. It provides clear guidelines and limitations to ensure that educators can effectively use copyrighted materials to enhance their instructional materials without violating copyright law.

A teacher posts a lesson she has created to Google Sites for anyone to view? This lesson contains a poem the teacher has taken from a book of poetry and directs students to analyze the poem in a specific way and explains how teachers can evaluate the analyses that students generate. Would this shared lesson be a violation according to the expectations established in the TEACH Act?

As an AI language model, I do not have personal opinions, but according to the TEACH Act, this shared lesson could potentially be a violation. The TEACH Act allows for the use of copyrighted material for educational purposes in certain circumstances, such as when the use is non-profit and limited in scope. However, there are specific guidelines that must be followed, such as using authorized copies and limiting access to students enrolled in the course. It is unclear if this shared lesson meets all of the requirements outlined in the TEACH Act, so it would be best for the teacher to consult a copyright expert or seek permission from the copyright owner before sharing the lesson.

Those excited about the capabilities of AI services need to understand that the inexpensive or free services they use presently are not sustainable. This analysis appearing in online Forbes provides details of the actual costs which will eventually need to be recouped to sustain the infrastructure and labor costs.

Tirias Research forecasts that the data center server infrastructure and operating costs for GenAI will exceed $76 billion by 2028, challenging the business models and profitability of emergent services such as search content creation and business automation incorporating GenAI. The cost and scale of GenAI will demand innovation in optimizing neural networks (NNs) and is likely to push the computational load out from data centers to client devices like PCs and smartphones.

I have an OpenAI account which I created to evaluate costs. I admit that I cannot figure out which of the various ways I use AI are generating charges. I think it is just ChatPDF and not ChatGPT or the uses I make within Obsidian, but I am not certain. I understand that this is not useful to you. I set a limit of use at $20 assuming this was not time-dependent, but it turns out it is per month. Clearly, this is far more than needed. Since I can adjust, I will do so in a week or so I can continue to evaluate upper limits. Just knowing the price is in pennies is comforting. I use some AI services a few times a day and not for any large project, but so far I have not been able to run up much of a bill.

I have written before about why I like the Brave Browser. Brave is really an ecosystem that offers users a way to address both privacy and the compensation of content creators. This combination is at the core of so many online issues. The reality is that all providers of content and services must have a way to address their labor and infrastructure expenses. Often, they do so by collecting user information to more accurately target ads. Some users adopt the unethical approach of blocking ads (blocking cookies) to protect their privacy. This type of action protects the privacy of users but then denies content and service creators compensation. Brave provides an alternate approach.

Brave is based on chromium so the extensions you use in the Chrome browser also work in Brave.

The Brave browser is a privacy-focused web browser that blocks ads and trackers by default. It also has a built-in ad blocker, tracker blocker, and HTTPS Everywhere, which encrypts all of your traffic.

Here are some of the advantages of using the Brave browser:

Privacy: Brave is designed to protect your privacy. It blocks ads and trackers by default, so you can browse the web without being tracked.

Security: Brave is also designed to be secure. It uses HTTPS Everywhere to encrypt all of your traffic, and it has a built-in firewall to protect you from malware.

Speed: Brave is also designed to be fast. It blocks ads and trackers, which can slow down your browsing experience.

Rewards: Brave also has a rewards program that allows you to earn BAT (Basic Attention Token) for viewing privacy-respecting ads. You can then use these BAT to tip your favorite websites or donate to charities.

Brave browser compensates content creators through a system called Brave Rewards. Brave Rewards is a built-in feature of the Brave browser that allows users to earn BAT (Basic Attention Token) cryptocurrency by viewing privacy-preserving ads. Users can then tip their BAT to their favorite content creators, or they can keep it for themselves.

To use Brave Rewards, users need to enable it in the browser’s settings. Once enabled, users will see a small BAT icon in the address bar. When they visit a website that supports Brave Rewards, they will see an option to tip the website’s owner with BAT. Users can also set up recurring tips for their favorite websites.

Brave Rewards is a new way for content creators to earn money from their work. It is a more direct and transparent way of monetization than traditional advertising, and it gives users more control over how their data is used.

Here are the steps on how to earn BAT and tip content creators using Brave Rewards:

1. Install the Brave browser on your computer or mobile device.

2. Open the Brave browser and click on the “Menu” icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner of the screen.

3. Select “Settings” from the menu.

4. In the Settings window, click on the “Brave Rewards” tab.

5. Enable Brave Rewards by clicking on the “Turn On” button.

6. Once Brave Rewards is enabled, you will see a small BAT icon in the address bar.

7. When you visit a website that supports Brave Rewards, you will see an option to tip the website’s owner with BAT.

8. To tip a website, click on the BAT icon in the address bar and enter the amount of BAT you want to tip.

9. Click on the “Tip” button to send the tip.

You can also set up recurring tips for your favorite websites. To do this, click on the “Manage Tips” button in the Brave Rewards settings. Then, click on the “Add New Tip” button and enter the website’s address and the amount of BAT you want to tip. Click on the “Save” button to create the recurring tip.

Brave Rewards is a great way to support your favorite content creators. It is a more direct and transparent way of monetization than traditional advertising, and it gives users more control over how their data is used.