Tag Archives: Withdrawal

Trump’s Climate Change Agreement Withdrawal: How It Silenced the US in Global Negotiations

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President Donald Trump’s controversial choice to withdraw the United States from key United Nations-affiliated organizations means the country risks losing its significant role in crucial global climate change discussions.

In a sweeping executive order issued on Wednesday, President Trump halted U.S. funding for 66 international bodies, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)—an agreement the U.S. joined in 1992—and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which releases the most authoritative climate reports globally.

According to a post by the White House, these organizations are deemed “no longer in the interest of the United States.”

This action underscores the Trump administration’s retreat from climate action, coinciding with escalating global warming effects, which are leading to more frequent and severe weather disasters across the U.S. Events like wildfires, floods, and hurricanes now inflict tens of billions in damages annually. By 2025, it’s projected that 23 extreme weather events will individually cause damages exceeding $1 billion, totaling approximately $115 billion, according to an analysis from Climate Central.

This withdrawal signifies the Trump administration’s rejection of climate diplomacy, further isolating the United States from the global community’s efforts to reduce warming and mitigate the most severe climate change impacts.

In January 2025, the U.S. is set to finalize its exit from the Paris Agreement, a pivotal accord signed in 2016, where 195 participating countries committed to limiting greenhouse gas emissions to prevent global temperatures from rising by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), with a maximum increase of 2 degrees Celsius.

The UNFCCC provided the foundational framework for the Paris Agreement, established in 1992 to identify and tackle the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. The treaty was signed by President George Bush after receiving Senate approval with a two-thirds majority vote.

Should the U.S. fully withdraw from the UNFCCC (a process estimated to take a year), it would mark the first instance in history of a country exiting such an agreement. This action could complicate future presidents’ ability to rejoin the Paris Agreement, as reentry requires new Senate approval with a two-thirds majority.

Extracting itself from the UNFCCC would render the United States the only nation without a presence at international climate discussions, as demonstrated by the White House’s decision to forgo an official delegation at the recent COP30 summit in Brazil.

Attendees arrive at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, November 7, 2025.
COP 30 Press Office/Anadolu/Getty Images

“Historically, even countries that remained passive at negotiations seldom walked away entirely, as it ensured their input was not disregarded,” stated Christy Ebi, a climate scientist from the University of Washington who has contributed to IPCC reports.

Ebi noted that while past U.S. administrations may have shown limited enthusiasm during discussions, they still tracked proceedings.

“Delegates would listen quietly from the sidelines, but now there’s a complete withdrawal,” she remarked.

The Trump administration has openly criticized the UNFCCC and similar organizations. In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to them as “anti-American and ineffective.”

The United States is set to officially exit the Paris Agreement on January 27, marking nearly a year since the administration initiated the withdrawal process.

However, questions persist about whether President Trump can withdraw from the UNFCCC without Congressional approval.

Gene Hsu, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, argues the action is unlawful. “The Constitution clearly outlines the process for joining a treaty with a two-thirds Senate majority but is ambiguous regarding withdrawal,” Suh explained. “We are considering legal action due to the absence of legal precedence for a president unilaterally exiting a Senate-approved treaty.”

The UNFCCC is the global mediator for climate negotiations, organizing the Conference of the Parties (COP) annually to address emissions targets and funding for climate action. The previous year’s conference focused on deforestation challenges and impacts on the Amazon rainforest.

“Hosting such global discussions is akin to managing the Olympics; organizational support is essential,” Ebi said.

Following the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the UNFCCC encountered a budget crisis, prompting Bloomberg Philanthropies, led by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, to intervene financially to sustain operations.

Conversely, the IPCC serves as an independent organization that provides essential scientific data on climate change, its repercussions, and potential solutions. Reports produced by the IPCC enhance scientific perspectives on UNFCCC treaties and discussions.

In response, UNFCCC Executive Director Simon Steele asserted that Trump’s withdrawal would “diminish America’s security and prosperity.”

“Similar to the previous Paris Agreement, there remains an opportunity for the United States to re-engage in the future,” Steele remarked.

Throughout his inaugural year, President Trump has targeted climate change through substantial budget cuts, labeling it a “swindle.” His administration has worked to undercut key climate reports, such as the National Climate Assessment, while attempting to diminish the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming.

Former Vice President Al Gore, a dedicated climate activist, commented on X that the Trump administration has “neglected the climate crisis from the outset,” putting Americans and global communities at risk while catering to oil industry interests.

“By withdrawing from the IPCC, UNFCCC, and other vital international collaborations, the Trump administration is undermining decades of carefully cultivated diplomacy, eroding climate science, and instilling global distrust,” Gore concluded.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

US Withdrawal of Support for CMB-S4 Telescope is Catastrophic

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South Pole telescope. CMB-S4 was meant to explore temperature and polarization changes in microwave light across vast areas of the sky.

Brad Benson, University of Chicago Fermilab

In the words of Robert Frost from The Road Not Taken, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood / And sorry I could not travel both.”

This sentiment resonates as I reflect on the U.S. government’s July 9 announcement: CMB-S4 projects will no longer receive support. CMB-S4 (Cosmic Microwave Background Stage 4) was set to be the next groundbreaking multicontinental telescope system, promising unparalleled insights into the oldest light traversing the universe.

Initially, the universe was a turbulent mix of dense particles and plasma, so thick that photons (light particles) could scarcely move without colliding with something. This primordial environment was also extremely hot, hindering the formation of atoms. It wasn’t until cosmic inflation—a rapid expansion of spacetime lasting an imperceptibly short period—that temperatures fell sufficiently to allow the first hydrogen atoms to form, providing photons the freedom to zip across space.

Sixty-one years ago, we discovered the existence of these photons, known as cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB). What began as mere background noise in radio signals has been recognized as a link to the early universe, leading us to meticulously analyze the wavelengths, intensities, and variations of these photons.

The CMB offers a trove of information regarding the origins of all matter we observe, including stars that later create gold through supernovae. By surveying the entire sky for changes in photon temperatures, we can identify minute fluctuations in temperature. While their positions appear random, the magnitude of these variations is consistent across the board.

Our prevailing theory posits that these fluctuations arise from tiny quantum variations in matter density at the time the photons were released. Greater concentrations of matter served as the seeds for gas accumulation, which ultimately merged into protostars, leading to the formation of stars and galaxies. Thus, these CMB fluctuations mark our cosmic genesis.

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The withdrawal from this project signifies a reckless retreat by the U.S. from global scientific cooperation.
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One of the most significant measurements we’ve derived from the CMB is how its temperature fluctuations correlate with various physical scales. Understanding the distances over which particular phenomena manifest allows us to analyze the variation’s origins—whether from larger or smaller scales. Essentially, different epochs in cosmological history are imprinted within the CMB.

For instance, we can “detect” when the universe became transparent to matter and when hydrogen first formed, an epoch referred to as recombination. Although these events are beyond our visual perception, we can gauge the presence of dark matter and dark energy based on their influence on the CMB.

CMB-S4 aimed to advance our understanding of the lessons the CMB has to offer. An important objective was to seek evidence of primordial gravitational waves, ripples in spacetime associated with cosmic inflation. Although different inflationary models propose plausible physical descriptions of our universe, specific details remain elusive. The signatures of gravitational waves on the CMB may provide the most effective means of distinguishing among these models.

The cessation of government backing for CMB-S4 is akin to jamming a bike’s wheel, abruptly halting our exploration of the cosmos. The repercussions will be felt globally. Historically, the U.S. has made significant investments in cosmological science, which attracts students internationally to its educational institutions. U.S.-sourced experimental data typically serves as a critical global resource. The retreat from the project, which seemed likely under the former administration, is now part of a broader trend of the U.S. distancing itself from global collaboration.

Frost concludes his poem by reflecting on the implications of his chosen path. It is indeed regrettable that the United States has opted not to explore the less traveled road in scientific pursuits. It undoubtedly makes an impact, but unfortunately, not for the better.

A week in Chanda

What I am reading

I find the works of Niaesh Afsholdi and Phil Halper captivating. Their book, The Battle of the Big Bang: A New Story About the Origins of Our Universe, is particularly intriguing.

What I see

I keep rewatching DC Universe movies, especially those featuring my favorite character, Harley Quinn.

What I am working on

I’ve been attempting to capture stunning images of the Andromeda Galaxy from my backyard.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms Might Be Less Prevalent Than Believed

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Withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants can include nausea and headaches.

Savushkin/Getty Images

While antidepressant withdrawal symptoms may not be as frequent as presumed with short-term usage, inquiries persist regarding the impact on individuals ceasing the medication after prolonged periods.

Individuals utilizing antidepressants for conditions like depression, anxiety, or phobias might experience withdrawal effects lasting several weeks, such as nausea, headaches, anxiety, and more. Though physicians may caution patients about this potentiality, the frequency of occurrence remains uncertain.

To delve deeper, Sameyer Jauhar from Imperial College London and his research team examined 49 randomized controlled trials concerning antidepressant consumption. They initially focused on a subgroup of studies tracking withdrawal symptoms experienced a week after discontinuation of antidepressants, in comparison to those on placebo or ongoing antidepressant treatment. The findings revealed that individuals who ceased the medication reported one additional symptom compared to those in the other groups.

In further analysis, the researchers scrutinized another subset of studies that observed the types of withdrawal symptoms faced by participants after stopping antidepressant or placebo tablets. Dizziness emerged as the most prevalent symptom, followed by nausea, tension or irritability.

Specifically, 7.5% of the antidepressant users experienced dizziness, compared to just 1.8% in the placebo cohort. Nausea, tension or irritability, and dizziness were reported by fewer than 5% of users in the antidepressant group, with under 2% in the placebo cohort.

These statistics are significantly lower than past projections for withdrawal symptoms. A review from 2019 reported that over half of individuals had faced symptoms, although this data stemmed from online surveys that might attract those experiencing more severe reactions. Michael Browning from Oxford University commented.

Another study published last year indicated that 31% of participants reported withdrawal symptoms, in contrast to 17% from the placebo group. However, specifics regarding the symptoms experienced were not detailed, mentioned Jauhar.

Susanna Murphy at Oxford University believes the recent reviews tackle these issues effectively. “This is essential for the field as it compiles and synthesizes data from many robust studies with a broader participant base compared to previous ones,” she stated.

Conversely, John Reed from East London University noted that most trials in the review focused on individuals who took antidepressants for only 8 to 12 weeks and pointed out that many patients remain on these medications for years. “There’s a notable correlation between the duration of antidepressant use and the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms, thus short-term studies may not adequately reflect actual outcomes,” he explained.

Therefore, they emphasize the necessity for further research to understand the implications of long-term use. Mark Horowitz from University College London illustrated this by saying, “It’s akin to crashing a car into a wall at 5 kilometers per hour and declaring it safe while ignoring that real-world driving speeds can reach 60 kilometers per hour.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Life-Threatening Symptoms of Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

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Tasha Hedges used Xanax for two decades to manage her anxiety and panic attacks, following her psychiatrist’s recommendations. However, in 2022, her doctor passed away unexpectedly.

Although the general practitioner continued the prescription, he retired shortly thereafter. The next physician moved to Canada, leaving Hedges to eventually find another psychiatrist.

“The first thing he did was yell at me for being on Xanax for too long,” she recounted from W.Va.

Typically, discontinuing the medication requires a gradual reduction of dosage over several months or years, referred to as tapering. However, Hedges stopped abruptly, facing severe withdrawal symptoms such as hot flashes, cold sweats, restlessness, shaking, and teeth grinding.

“It was a nightmare,” she described. Two years after ceasing the medication, she still grapples with repercussions. “My brain wasn’t the same.”

Online support groups and platforms like Benzobuddies indicate that individuals like Hedges are physically dependent on benzodiazepines. Many encounter serious and potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms when their medication is abruptly ceased or tapered too quickly, leading to extended periods without treatment. Some healthcare providers hesitate to prescribe these medications due to associated risks and stigma.

“They’re often seen as highly addictive,” noted Ronald M. Winchell, a clinical psychiatry professor at Columbia University, who posed several questions to consider: “Would I initiate this treatment? Is it appropriate? Is it safe? Could my patients misuse it? What do my peers think?”

Prescriptions for benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Ativan, and Klonopin have declined since 2016 due to provider concerns. Nonetheless, these medications remain quick and effective solutions, often being among the most prescribed in the country for anxiety and sleep disorders. In 2019, around 92 million benzodiazepine prescriptions were issued in the U.S., according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Current guidelines advise prescribers to use the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration, typically less than four weeks. However, many patients remain on these medications for longer periods. An FDA review in 2018 indicated that approximately half of patients had used the drugs for over two months. Dr. Edward K. Silverman, a professor emeritus of psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine, highlighted that some patients stay on these medications without regular consultations.

Patients can develop physical dependence within weeks of stable benzodiazepine use. Stopping the medication, even after a brief period, necessitates a carefully managed process. Unfortunately, many healthcare providers lack adequate training in tapering prescriptions. To clarify the process, an expert from the American Society of Addiction Medicine released new guidelines in March for dosage reduction developed with FDA funding.

“It’s absolutely reckless to force people into rapid tapering,” Dr. Silverman stated.

Jodie Jerlow, 60, began using Klonopin for insomnia 25 years ago while in Dallas. After her psychiatrist retired for health reasons, she found another doctor who recommended two additional benzodiazepines, Xanax and Ativan, while working towards withdrawing from Klonopin.

After about six months on all three medications, Jerlow grew frustrated and decided to take matters into her own hands. She successfully tapered off Klonopin and Xanax.

She is still working to discontinue Ativan with assistance from her general practitioner and a coach at the nonprofit Benzodiazepine Information Coalition.

Initially, Jerlow noted she tapered too quickly, experiencing headaches, nausea, and agoraphobia. However, one of the most distressing withdrawal symptoms was suicidal ideation.

“It felt like background noise. ‘It’s going to be easy,’” she recalled.

These were feelings she had never encountered before reducing her medication.

In 2023, advocates for those harmed by benzodiazepines reported various long-term symptoms that may arise during use, tapering, or discontinuation, including benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction or binding.

While not everyone experiences binding, experts agree that with a well-planned tapering strategy, side effects can be lessened.

Dr. Carl Zalzman, a psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School and former president of the American Psychiatry Association’s Benzodiazepine Task Force, commented on the issue.

Despite their existence since the 1960s, many healthcare providers are still at a loss regarding how to help patients discontinue these medications effectively. There is no one-size-fits-all tapering strategy. Some patients experience withdrawal symptoms, and others require continued access to medications while tapering slow.

Dr. Silverman recalled a patient who had to meticulously slice pills with a razor blade to gradually decrease dosage and mitigate severe side effects.

The new guidelines from ASAM, which address the limited studies available on effective tapering, mainly rely on clinical experience. They advise clinicians to review the risks and benefits of benzodiazepine prescriptions at least every three months, recommending a dosage reduction of 5-10% every 2-4 weeks. The guidelines stress that long-term users may need to taper for over a year and should be monitored post-discontinuation.

“Most of us were never informed of the potential for dependency and long-term complications,” said De Foster, an advocate for those suffering from benzodiazepine complications, who contributed to the new guidelines. He emphasized, “A slow taper can be challenging, but a sudden withdrawal is perilous.”

ASAM’s guidance came too late for Ratasha Marberry, 49, a New York resident who became physically dependent on Klonopin. In 2022, she entered an addiction detox center, desperate to stop the medication she had been prescribed for insomnia. The facility’s provider took her off the medication in just five days.

She shared that it felt like collapsing as she faced nights filled with turmoil akin to “a lion in the room that you can’t see but are fighting against.” She later visited another facility in Florida where she was prescribed antidepressants. Within weeks, she began to feel a significant improvement.

Now she states, “I’m sleeping like a strange baby.”

She reflects, “Should I have been prescribed this drug for an extended period rather than a benzodiazepine?”

“When I think back to my experiences, I cry,” she confessed. “It wasn’t physical pain, but rather emotional suffering. I’m thankful to be alive.”

If you are in crisis or contemplating suicide, reach out to 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline; visit Speaking of Suicide for additional resources.

Source: www.nytimes.com

Could this be the most remarkable withdrawal notice ever issued by the journal?

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Feedback is the latest science and technology news of new scientists, the sidelines of the latest science and technology news. You can email Feedback@newscientist.com to send items you believe readers can be fascinated by feedback.

Retract action

On February 25th, one of the most epic withdrawal notices was the joy of reading feedback. The notice of withdrawal is when it determines that a research published by a scientific journal is highly flawed and unreliable and is effectively published.

New withdrawal notice I covered five articles, not one, not two Perceptual and motor skillsby all Nicholas Gagen in Southern University of Brittany, France.

Five studies were published between 2002 and 2009. In 2007, Guéguen was the only author of “Bust size and hitchhiking: Field study” The aim is to use real experiments to show that women with big breasts are more likely to be picked up when hitchhiking. Two years later, this time with a colleague, he found it. There was a high chance that the blonde would ride it too..

With such a result, it is no wonder that Guéguen’s work has become a popular theme in news articles. Sadly, this includes New Scientist Covered in 2008 study Women (which has not yet been withdrawn) claim to be more embracing the chat upline at their peak monthly fertility.

It took almost ten years for the card house to start to shake. In 2017, researcher Nick Brown (People who write blogs as “Steamtraen”) and James Heathers I’ve started writing about Guéguen’s work. They found He was prolific and often “published more than ten prominent empirical articles a year, many of which include extensive fieldwork.” Immediately raise a question: How did he find time? They also began to doubt the great effects that are alleged.

And the card house began to crumble. 2019, International review of social psychology Added “Expression of concern” In six of Guéguen’s papers. 2022, Journal of Social Psychology Retract “” in a study that claims that men perceive women as having strong sexual intent when they wear red.Table 1 of the manuscript included four combinations of impossible mean and standard deviation considering the reported sample sizes” That same year, Scandinavian Journal of Psychology A study claiming that men are more likely to help women slaps the study expressing concern.When her hair naturally falls on her neck, shoulders and back“.

And come now Latest withdrawal. The notifications explaining them are amazing, although I take them in academic language. They warn that “low confidence that the research design was implemented as described” and that “many of the data in these articles was incredible or misanalyzed.” In other words, we didn’t think he did what he said, and in any case, he made it wrong.

The editor says Guéguen did not respond to the query. Frankly, given the nature of his work, feedback suspects that he had only one reply: “Stigma! Stigma! They all got it for me!”

It seems right to have Heathers have their final words.Unreliable, embarrassing, if you’re writing a study on Benny Hill, remember that someone will know how bad you made it…and you Also, it might be pretty ok for around seven years before you get more broad results. “

Botticelli xxx Peacock

A few weeks ago, Feedback wrote about the troublesome Scunthorpe issue: The difficulty of blocking offensive words online is often seen in completely harmless words such as the names of British towns. Three readers were able to share with us about similar experiences without falling into our email filter.

Richard Black was in the early 2000s when he asked students to help set up a Hotmail email account. (Note for younger readers: Hotmail is the old name of Outlook. It is the email system that parents use at work as Microsoft is nervous in the business software market.) Richard writes: (Note to younger readers: Yahoo… ah, in fact Yahoo is still around.) Anyway, the student’s last name was Peacock.

At about the same time, Richard Hind was “given the budget to implement an email filtering solution.” It worked pretty well, except for “some curious slang terms for ours that were deemed uncomfortable.” However, many “innocent emails” have also been suspended. The only pattern was being sent by staff to friends elsewhere. “I finally clicked,” says Richard. All blocked emails were signed with three kisses or XS.

I also give my thoughts for Patricia Finney. Blog I explained about optimism in the face of climate change in Botticelli’s reenactment The birth of Venus. Facebook refused Nude and nipples” I’m still waiting for an apology,” she says.

Sweet snack

Feedback reading mountains Thunderbird Episode, so we are reluctant to add to it. But a A series of books caught our eye by food historians. The dark history of sugar It’s about colonial adventures that support the sugar industry, not colonial adventures. With a light note, Pudding Philosophy Sounds fun and we were impressed by the title Kneading to know: The history of baking. Author of all these fever-related books? Neil Butterly.

Have you talked about feedback?

You can send stories to feedback by email at feedback@newscientist.com. Please include your home address. This week and past feedback can be found on our website.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Are you unable to focus? You could be one of the 20 people affected by Cognitive Withdrawal Syndrome

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Concerned that you may be dealing with ADHD? Have you ever caught yourself trailing off in the middle of a conversation, getting lost in your own thoughts? It is normal to lose focus, but if you constantly find yourself daydreaming and struggling to concentrate, you may be experiencing a lesser-known attention disorder known as Cognitive Withdrawal Syndrome (CDS).

While often mistaken for laziness, lack of motivation, or ADHD, CDS is actually a legitimate neurological disorder that is gaining more attention from scientists and researchers.

What exactly is cognitive withdrawal syndrome?

CDS was first described in the 1960s as “cognitive tempo slowing” and was rebranded in 2022 to better reflect its core feature: cognitive detachment.

“CDS is characterized by symptoms such as confusion, daydreaming, absent-mindedness, and drowsiness,” according to Dr. Sophia Boukas, an Academic in Psychology and Education at Brunel University, London, in BBC Science Focus. People with CDS often take longer to complete tasks, but this does not affect the quality of their work, they simply require more time.

Although CDS is gaining recognition, it has not yet been officially classified as a disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is used by medical professionals to diagnose mental disorders.

Research suggests that CDS may impact 5-7% of children, comparable to ADHD, indicating that a significant number of people may be experiencing CDS symptoms without realizing it.

Is CDS a form of ADHD?

CDS and ADHD are distinct conditions, but they share similarities and overlaps that can cause confusion. While ADHD can manifest in three ways, primarily inattention, hyperactivity, or a combination of both, CDS is more closely associated with predominantly inattentive ADHD, rather than hyperactivity disorder.

Research shows that between 25 and 40 percent of youth with ADHD exhibit symptoms of CDS. Importantly, CDS can also occur in individuals without ADHD.

What treatments are available?

As CDS is not yet officially recognized as a disorder, seeking treatment can be challenging. However, some psychologists are using questionnaires and behavioral observations to help diagnose the condition, which may eventually lead to formal diagnostic criteria.

Organizations like Cincinnati Children’s Hospital are pioneering CDS assessment and treatment, offering resources such as psychoeducation, parent training, cognitive behavioral therapy, and more.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, sleep hygiene, and mindfulness practices are emphasized for managing CDS. Treatment options are still evolving, with non-stimulant medications showing promise for CDS, while stimulants commonly used for ADHD may not be as effective.

If you suspect you or your child may have CDS, it’s important to consult a medical professional for guidance on treatment options.

About our experts

Sofia Barbosa-Boucas is a Lecturer in Psychology (Education) at Brunel University, London, known for significant contributions to psychology and education.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Getty Images CEO discusses potential withdrawal from UK’s creative sector or investing in AI with Sunak

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Rishi Sunak needs to decide whether to support Britain’s creative industries or bet everything on the artificial intelligence boom, Getty Images’ chief executive has said.

Craig Peters, who has led Image Library since 2019, made the comments amid growing anger in the creative and media sectors over the material being collected as “training data” for AI companies. His company is suing a number of AI image generators for copyright infringement in the UK and US.

“If you look at the UK, probably about 10% of GDP is made up of creative industries like film, music and television. I think it’s dangerous to make that trade-off. It’s a bit of a complicated trade-off to bet on AI, which is less than a quarter of the country’s GDP, much less than the creative industries.”

In 2023, the government, in response to consultation from the Intellectual Property Office, set a goal to “overcome the barriers currently faced by AI companies and users” when using copyrighted material, and promised to “support access to copyrighted works.” input to the model.”

This was already a step back from previous proposals for broad copyright exceptions for text and data mining. In a response to a House of Commons committee on Thursday, Viscount Camrose, a hereditary peer and under-secretary of state for artificial intelligence and intellectual property, said: This will help secure the UK’s place as a world leader in AI, while supporting the UK’s thriving creative sector.”

The role of copyrighted material in AI training is under increasing pressure. In the US, the New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft, the creators of ChatGPT, for using news articles as part of training data for their AI system. OpenAI said in a court filing that it is impossible to build an AI system without using copyrighted material.

Peters disagrees. Getty Images collaborated with Nvidia to create its own image generation AI that is trained using only licensed images.

The tide is changing within the industry as well. A dataset of pirated e-books, called Books3, is hosted by an AI group whose copyright takedown policy at one point even includes a costumed person pretending to masturbate with an imaginary penis while singing. Similar to the lawsuit by Getty and the New York Times, a number of other legal actions are underway against AI companies over potential training data breaches.

Ultimately, whether courts or even governments decide how to regulate the use of copyrighted material to train AI systems may not be the final word on this issue. Peters is optimistic that this result is not a foregone conclusion.

Source: www.theguardian.com