AI’s Original Sin: Training on Stolen Work

AI’s Original Sin: Training on Stolen Work

From The People's AI: The Decentralized AI Podcast by Jeff Wilser

January 21, 2026 · 50 min · Season 3 · Episode 5

About this episode

This episode explores the implications of AI training on the works of writers and artists without permission, and the future of human creativity in light of copyright laws.

What happens when AI gets smarter by quietly consuming the work of writers, artists, and publishers—without asking, crediting, or paying? And if the “original sin” is already baked into today’s models, what does a fair future look like for human creativity? In this episode, we examine the fast-moving collision between generative AI and copyright: the lived experience of authors who feel violated, the legal logic behind “fair use,” and the emerging battle over whether the real infringement is ...

People in this episode

Host: Jeff Wilser

Topics covered

  • AI ethics
  • copyright issues
  • generative AI
  • human creativity
  • legal implications
  • fair use

Keywords

  • AI
  • copyright
  • fair use
  • generative AI
  • creativity
  • legal issues
  • authors

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: copyright, fair use

Books & works: writers, artists, publishers, human creativity

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