A significant report from the US Copyright Office challenged the view that AI training is fair use, resulting in the abrupt firing of head Shira Perlmutter. This action was viewed as a blatant political maneuver linked to previous firings by the Trump administration, raising alarms about possible overreach into independent cultural institutions. The report's fallout has led to public outcry among industry advocates, and an escalation of tensions, evidenced by an unusual encounter at the Copyright Office marked by claims of new officials present, which sparked further scrutiny of the motives behind these leadership changes.
A day after the US Copyright Office dropped a bombshell pre-publication report challenging artificial intelligence firms' argument that all AI training should be considered fair use, the Trump administration fired the head of the Copyright Office, Shira Perlmutter.
Tensions have apparently only escalated since, as industry advocates decry the report as overstepping the office's authority, describing an apparent standoff at the Copyright Office.
Perlmutter's firing followed Donald Trump's removal of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who was the first African American to hold the post, raising concerns about intrusions in independent cultural institutions.
Rep. Joe Morelle condemned Perlmutter's removal as a 'brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis,' criticizing Trump's influence in traditionally independent offices.
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