Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter expressed significant concerns about artificial intelligence during her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Intellectual Property. She emphasized that the rapid development of AI technology is her primary concern, noting that while copyright issues will eventually be resolved, the broader implications for humanity remain worrying.

The Copyright Office is working on a comprehensive three-part report addressing AI's impact on copyright law. The first part, released in July 2024, focused on AI-generated digital replicas and led to the NO FAKES Act proposal, which aims to protect individuals' rights over their digital likenesses.

Key developments and timeline:

• Parts two and three of the report expected by end of 2024
• Over 10,000 public comments received on AI and copyright intersection
• Most commenters support existing fair use framework
• Significant disagreement exists on what qualifies as fair use

The upcoming report sections will address:

• Copyrightability of AI-generated materials
• Legal implications of training AI on copyrighted works
• Guidelines for transparency in AI training data

The Office faces pressure from lawmakers to expedite these reports, with House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil emphasizing their critical importance for both industry guidance and policy development. Perlmutter maintains that accuracy and thoughtfulness take priority over speed in completing the remaining sections.

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