Hello,

I’ve seen some reporting on WordPress (and Tumblr) potentially selling access to their users’ content for training generative AI. When I checked my personal WordPress blog, lo and behold there was a new option to “opt out” of this, though with a pretty feeble assurance that they would rely on the AI companies to honor this request voluntarily.

Anyway my questions are

1)   For those at institutions using WordPress for departmental or library blogs: has this come to your attention at all, and

2)   For everyone: is anyone aware of a local policy regarding use of institutional content for training generative AI?

I have also heard a bit about a university selling recordings of interviews or other data for this purpose, though the details are sketchy. Given the serious ethical concerns around use of IP for training generative AI, and the effects of using generative AI, it seems worth looking into.

Thanks,

Mike Monaco
Coordinator, Cataloging Services
University Libraries Technical Services
261B Bierce Library
The University of Akron
Akron, Ohio 44325-1712
He/him/his
Office: 330-972-2446
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ORCID: 0000-0001-7244-5154
https://www.uakron.edu/libraries