AI, Copyright, and the Narrative of Ownership

Exploring ownership in a world writing its story

Let's dig into a compelling topic that's been on my mind lately, one that blends the realms of technology, creative writing, and storytelling: the matter of AI and copyright. This hits home for me, as I juggle multiple roles—being an artist, a story theorist, and a developer. The question that looms is: what is truly ours in a world where creative and intellectual boundaries are increasingly nebulous?

The Modern Landscape

A recent article from The Algorithmic Bridge explored the ins and outs of AI in creative writing. While the article covered a lot of ground, one comment from Phil Tanny caught my eye:

"Your article points to the modern reality that the dividing lines between cultural elites and regular people are in some cases being erased too. The battles over copyright suggest that dividing lines between 'mine' and 'yours' are also weakening."

With the recent agreements between the WGA and the AMPTP, there's an evident shift in how we perceive ownership and creative control. But that's just scratching the surface; we're only at the first act of this ongoing story.

The Illusion of Ownership

Phil adds another layer to the conversation, speaking on the technology--and math--behind large language models:

"In this comment, I chose the order of the words, but what I’m saying has already been said many times before."

This resonates with me because, back when I was an animator at Disney, I'd often draw inspiration—sometimes literally—from master artists of yesteryears. Does that mean I owe them, or their descendants, royalties?

The Story of Thought

Issues of copyright aside, what sparked me to pen this article was Phil's comment on how we perceive the world:

"There’s an interesting irony which we might want to explore. The source of all these conceptual divisions between 'us' and 'them' and 'me' and 'you' is what we’re all made of psychologically, thought."

Now, if you've been around Narrative First, you're no stranger to the Four Throughlines that are the backbone of any complete story:

• Objective Story Throughline
• Main Character Throughline
• Obstacle Character Throughline
• Relationship Story Throughline

Interestingly, these Throughlines dovetail perfectly with Phil's conceptual divisions of perspective:

• The Relationship Story Throughline is all about "us."
• The Objective Story Throughline zeroes in on "them."
• The Main Character Throughline is the world of "me."
• The Obstacle Character Throughline revolves around "you."

What's happening here is that these Four Throughlines encapsulate the very thought processes Phil is talking about. They're not mere labels; they're interpretive lenses that shape how we perceive and engage with the world. In essence, they form the narrative scaffolding for the stories we tell ourselves, which ultimately define who we are.

Towards A New Narrative

Here's the kicker: we don't have the full picture. We're characters in a developing narrative, a story still unfolding. And as that narrative advances, our traditional concepts of "mine" and "yours"—especially in the realm of copyright—might just become outdated, reduced to mere footnotes in the annals of our collective story.

So as we navigate this complicated narrative, it's crucial to remember: the lines may be blurring, but maybe that's because we're finally starting to see the bigger picture. And by the time we reach that narrative's end, these notions of copyright and ownership might just be the backstory we barely remember.