Google will Indemnify Workspace and Cloud Customers for AI Copyright Issues

Google will Indemnify Workspace and Cloud Customers for AI Copyright Issues
Image Credit: Google

Google has announced a comprehensive, two-pronged intellectual property indemnification policy to protect Google Workspace and Google Cloud customers from potential copyright claims related to AI-generated content.

The policy change comes as advanced AI systems like generative models are rapidly being adopted across industries. However, legal uncertainty around copyright of AI output has caused concerns. Google's indemnification aims to give customers confidence in using these emerging technologies.

Specifically, Google will now indemnify customers against allegations that:

  • Training Data: Google will assume legal responsibility if its use of data to train AI models is alleged to infringe IP rights. This expands Google's existing general indemnity to explicitly include training data.
  • Generated Output: Google will also indemnify customers against claims that text, images, or other content produced by Google AI services violates IP rights. This covers services like Google Docs, Slides, and Cloud Vertex AI.

Together, these provisions offer robust protection against copyright allegations stemming from both the data used to develop AI systems and the actual output they generate.

The move aims to accelerate enterprise adoption of AI by alleviating legal uncertainty. It comes after Microsoft announced a similar Copilot Copyright Commitment in September to defend customers against lawsuits over AI-generated content.

Microsoft's pledge covers its various Copilot services and requires customers to use built-in guardrails and content filters. Google also expects responsible AI practices from customers benefiting from its indemnification. But its broad protections promise to give businesses confidence in unlocking transformative AI capabilities.

While tech companies have been racing to release advanced AI services, legal uncertainty has been an obstacle for enterprise adoption. The protection being offered by Google and Microsoft may very well become the industry standard surrounding generative AI and copyright. Both companies are not only acknowledging the challenges but also actively stepping forward to assume responsibility, thereby offering customers a sense of confidence in using these state-of-the-art tools.

Google stresses that this is the first step and plans continued dialogue around refinements as AI technology evolves. For now, its intellectual property indemnification represents a powerful shield for customers exploring innovative applications of generative AI.

Chris McKay is the founder and chief editor of Maginative. His thought leadership in AI literacy and strategic AI adoption has been recognized by top academic institutions, media, and global brands.

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