In a candid discussion on CNBC’s ‘Squawk on the Street’, OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap talked about his company’s newly announced tool aimed at giving content owners control over how their material is used to train AI models. This pioneering step underscores the transformative impact AI is having on the relationship between creators, publishers, and technology providers.

“AI is an interesting technology. It really, since basically the dawn of the web, we haven’t had a technology that’s in many ways, I think, kind of redefined the relationship between content owners and publishers and technology providers,” said Lightcap, stressing the need for an open dialogue. “We believe very strongly that there has to be a dialog and a conversation between companies that train AI models and content owners and publishers,” he then added.

On the new tool’s functionality, Lightcap explained: “This tool specifically allows content owners to identify their content and specify specifically how they would like their content used with respect to AI training and further use.” While just an initial step, he hopes it will “mitigate the extent of copyright infringement” previously seen.

Looking ahead, Lightcap recognizes the immense potential of AI integration across industries.

“This technology ultimately has to be useful for people. It has to be able to work inside of a business. It has to be able to help people learn things, manage their healthcare better. That’s a really hard problem,” he remarked.

As businesses grapple with harnessing AI capabilities safely and productively, Lightcap spends significant time “thinking about what it is that businesses need to be more productive, to make their workforces more efficient, to use the technology safely in critical business processes.”

The unveiling of this pioneering tool signals a pivotal shift in how AI developers and content creators approach the responsible use of data in an AI-driven world. By fostering open dialogue and providing mechanisms for content control, OpenAI is paving the way for a future where AI augments human potential across domains.

Featured image: Credit: OpenAI