The dynamic development of technology is transforming many aspects of our lives, from the way we communicate to the way we create and distribute content. Alongside these innovations, there are growing challenges related to copyright and ethical issues. In this paper, I will look at the impact of new technologies on copyright and the ethical challenges we face.
One of the main challenges we have been facing for some time is the ease with which content can be copied and distributed. In the digital age, music files, films, books and other materials can be copied and distributed on a massive scale in a very short time. This makes existing copyright rules increasingly ineffective. Artificial intelligence and generative neural networks enable content creation on an unprecedented scale. Thanks to these technologies, it is now possible to create images, texts, music and films that are increasingly difficult to distinguish from human-made works. This raises a crucial question: who owns the copyright to an AI-generated work? Is it the creator of the algorithm, or perhaps the user who has used it?
In the face of these challenges, new legal rules are needed to better adapt to the digital reality. Copyright law needs to evolve to better protect creators in the digital age, while taking into account new forms of AI-generated creativity.
New technologies make it easier to copy and modify existing works, leading to problems of plagiarism and intellectual theft. It is easy to find copies of musical works, texts and images online, often shared without the creators’ consent. This is not only a legal problem, but also an ethical one, as it undermines the value of creative work.
Another ethical and legal issue is the ability of advanced technologies to monitor and analyse data, which can violate the privacy of creators and consumers of content. Algorithms can track what we read, watch and listen to, raising concerns about surveillance and the use of our data without our consent. A frequently cited example illustrating such actions is the popular voice assistant used in homes, which, despite not receiving a command from users, sent part of their private conversation to a contact saved in their phone.
Raising awareness of the ethical aspects of new technologies is crucial. Educating both creators and consumers about copyright and the ethical consequences of using technology is socially significant, particularly in building awareness of the benefits as well as the potential risks. Technological development outpaces legal regulations but also surpasses our imagination regarding the possibilities we will have in our daily lives, whether in professional, educational, or private environments. Therefore, ethics in the world of new technologies is of utmost importance, especially concerning ethics in generative artificial intelligence.