Every day, we are confronted with new chapters about technology and its effects on humankind. Although tech has made some of our daily chores effortless, there are instances where it seems to encroach on aspects of our lives that make us innately human—our creativity and a sense of purpose. Artificial intelligence’s instantaneous introduction and adoption in recent weeks proves the latter point. Photography, which persists as one of the momentous inventions, bears the brunt of AI in terms of ethics and morality, lack of legislation, monitoring, and guardrails around AI scrapping. Apps like Cara and software like Nightshade provide some reassurance during these testing times, but it isn’t enough. And now, in pursuit of protecting the works of photographers, Paul Nicklen and Cristina Goettsch Mittermeier founded a new platform, Overlai.
The lead image is courtesy of Overlai’s Instagram page.
“My life’s work as a photographer is currently being used without consent by companies like OpenAI and Runway to train AI models, violating copyright and privacy laws. I am not willing to just hand over the last 30 years of hard work so giants can make an even bigger profit,” wrote Paul Nicklen in his Instagram post, highlighting the devastating impacts of AI. Mittermeier also echoed similar sentiments in her post, “The images I’ve created are my legacy and proof that chasing your dreams is worth it, no matter how many years it takes to achieve them. That is why it is so frustrating to see companies using AI to profit from my work and the work of my fellow artists.”
So, how does the app work? Also available as an Adobe plugin, Overlai has been designed to ensure the privacy of artworks. To do so, one uploads the photograph to Overlai before posting it online. With this simple step, the website incorporates Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and issues C2PA and IPTC assertions for the images and creator credentials for the artists.
DLT takes care of digital asset transactions, ensuring security and verification for the photographers. As the website notes, the system does not use a primary database and analysis at every transaction independently, while protecting the photographer’s intellectual property from invasion. With the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), the platform partners with experts to create means to verify digital content while encouraging clarity and trust online. Overlai also utilizes “watermarks” on the app, which are directly embedded into digital photographs and maintain the artist’s ownership and rights. Last but not least is Random Poisoning Technology, which aims to “poison” AI data sets. One can also employ Overlai’s verifying tool to “find out authorship, C2PA and EXIF Credentials and other metadata.”
Both Nicklen and Mittermeier have championed that Overlai “protects the legacies and rights of creators” while emphasizing the importance of a “social media whiteout.” The latter is a movement begun by photographers to halt the upload of their works while urging others to do the same and start a “human movement.” All one has to do is upload the reel of a “white lock” available on Overlai. With this step, Nicklen aims to “shine a blaring spotlight on the companies taking from artists without their consent, knowledge, or any kind of compensation.”
The app, still in the beta stage, has some of the most influential photography icons backing it. Indian wildlife photographer Shaaz Jung, photographer and director Emmett Sparling, and conservation photographer Daisy Gilardini are some individuals who are “ambassadors” of Overlai.
As AI scrapping becomes a prominent tool for stealing the works of creatives, an app like Overlai is needed more than ever to fix the escalating issue. With companies like Meta, Google, Microsoft, Adobe, and more sneakily changing their policies and zero remorse, one must be vigilant and take an extra step in safeguarding their intellectual properties
Overlai will be launched on App Store and Google Play at the end of the month, but early access is available via its website.
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