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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsTechnologicalArtificial IntelligenceIntellectual propertyCopyright LawFair UseData Ethics•••Started 4mos agoActive 5 days ago

Should AI companies be required to pay creators for using their work to train models?

Generative AI models, like ChatGPT and Midjourney, are built by "scraping" billions of images and text from the open internet to teach the computer patterns. Currently, tech companies argue this is "fair use"—similar to a human student reading a library book to learn to write. However, artists, authors, and news publishers (like The New York Times) argue this is mass copyright infringement that allows corporations to profit from their work without compensation. Proponents argue that mandating payment protects the economic future of human creativity and prevents IP theft. Opponents argue that enforcing strict copyright on data would bankrupt AI startups, stall American innovation, and effectively hand the lead in the AI arms race to countries with looser regulations like China.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 9.9k America voters.

76%
Yes
24%
No
65%
Yes
20%
No
7%
Yes, using copyrighted work without permission is high-tech theft that threatens human livelihoods
4%
No, training AI on public data is "fair use," just like a student learning from a library book
4%
Yes, but create a standardized licensing system so lawsuits do not stall innovation
1%
No, enforcing fees would bankrupt startups and hand the AI arms race to China

Historical Support

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from America voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @BF272H4 from Illinois  answered…5 days5D

Yes, but I think that AI should be done away with

 @BF3CWY9 from Mississippi  answered…1wk1W

Yes, the creator must be paid and you better make sure it is not biased and doesn't lie about people.

 @BF355LF from Maryland  answered…1wk1W

AI companies shouldn't be using creators work to train models in general

 @BF2BHPC from Maryland  answered…2wks2W

AI companies should not be allowed to use copyrighted content or intellectual property that they have not been given permission to use to train AI at all

 @BF25V2Qfrom Guam  answered…2wks2W

Pay if the artist consent, don't use it altogether if they don't

 @BDZTDDD from Missouri  answered…2wks2W

Yes, specifically when creators are hired to train AI models or the AI company approaches the creator to use their work in order to not violate copyright law. Public data is "fair use" and doesn't apply.

 @BDY5JJZ from Oklahoma  answered…2wks2W

Yes and it should only be trained on people who sign a written agreement. If it’s trained on anything else it should be a fineable offense

 @BDY43N6 from New York  answered…2wks2W

No, and AI companies shouldn’t be taking the work of real artists to feed into their machine at all

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Elizabeth Warren Walks Back Murder Comments

Congressional Democrats broadly denounced the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Friday morning, after Republicans started accusing Sen. Elizabeth Warren of excusing violence.“No one's condoning this,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.). “Violence never is the right answer for anything. And it was a horrible murder, a tragic loss for his family.” Warren this week condemned the shooting, but added that people “can be pushed only so far.”"We'll say it over and over," Warren said on MSNBC’S “The ReidOut.” " Violence is never the answer. This guy [Luigi Mangione] gets a trial who's allegedly killed the CEO of UnitedHealth, but you can only push people so far, and then they start to take matters into their own hands."In a statement to POLITICO, Warren said, “Violence is never the answer. Period. I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.” Top Republicans denounced Warren's comments and the walked-back rhetoric, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) calling it “inappropriate and dangerous.”Some House Democrats asked about the incident on Thursday pivoted the conversation to discuss policy options on health care or gun safety.“I don't really know that this is really a space that Congress normally weighs in on,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). “But at the end of the day, I think it’s an opportunity, because now people are talking about health care and to talk about the fact that this industry has honestly not been as helpful as it could be.”“Violence is never the answer,” said Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.). “We know that there are people suffering, there’s great challenges in healthcare. There's great challenges, and people have, in fact, been wronged, but a process of governance is the way to address that, not violence.”And Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) who denounced the murder, said the killer should be prosecuted and that “I do know that allegedly a ghost gun was used, and we should also ban ghost guns. There's no reason for them beyond the streets.”

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Based on 9.9k responses to this question.

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iSideWith. (2026). “Should AI companies be required to pay creators for using their work to train models?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://www.isidewith.com/polls/5544383152

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