Google's Commitment to Safeguard AIGC Tool Users from Copyright Risks

Recently, Google announced that it will offer legal protection for users of its generative AI tools within Google Cloud and Google Workspace. This initiative aims to help users avoid potential lawsuits related to copyright issues. Google stated that if users face copyright challenges, the company will cover the associated legal risks.

To manage copyright infringement concerns, Google is employing a pioneering "dual approach" strategy, addressing issues related to its training data and the output generated by its foundational models. While the commitment to indemnify users regarding training data is not new, the company is clarifying the scope of this protection, particularly for information that may be subject to copyright.

This indemnification applies to various products, including Duet AI within Workspace (which covers text generation in Google Docs and Gmail, as well as imagery in Google Slides and Google Meet), Duet AI in Google Cloud, Vertex AI Search, Vertex AI Conversation, Vertex AI Text Embedding API, visual captions, and the Codey API. However, it’s important to note that the announcement did not mention the AI chatbot Bard. Additionally, Google cautioned users that this protection does not apply if they intentionally infringe on others' rights using generative AI tools.

Google emphasized that this step is part of its commitment to creating a safe, reliable, and confident environment for users interacting with its services, and it plans to continue supporting users on their generative AI journey. In a similar move, Microsoft also announced in September that it would provide legal protections for Copilot users—covering tools like Windows Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and GitHub Copilot—to ensure that the generated content does not violate copyright. Microsoft pledged to provide legal assistance and cover all costs if customers face copyright disputes after implementing related safety measures.