Microsoft's 'Responsible AI' Chief Worries About the Open Web

From the Washington Post's 'Technology 202' newsletter:

As tech giants move toward a world in which chatbots supplement, and perhaps supplant, search engines, the Microsoft executive assigned to make sure AI is used responsibly said the industry has to be careful not to break the business model of the wider web. Search engines citing and linking to the websites they draw from is 'part of the core bargain of search,' [Microsoft's chief Responsible AI officer] said in an interview Monday....

'It's really important to maintain a healthy information ecosystem and recognize it is an ecosystem. And so part of what I will continue to guide our Microsoft teams toward is making sure that we are citing back to the core webpages from which the content is sourced. Making sure that we've got that feedback loop happening. Because that is part of the core bargain of search, right? And I think it's critical to make sure that we are both providing users with new engaging ways to interact, to explore new ideas — but also making sure that we are building and supporting the great work of our creators.'

Asked about lawsuits alleging copyright use without permission, they said 'We believe that there are strong grounds under existing laws to train models.'

But they also added those lawsuits are 'asking legitimate questions' about where the boundaries are, 'for which the courts will provide answers in due course.'

Read more of this story at Slashdot.