Intellectual property includes copyright, patents and in general who owns creative works and inventions. It has become a big issue in AI as many of the large datasets used to train large language models and generative AI include copyright material. In some cases this can lead to direct reproduction of portions of a work, or works created 'in the syle' of a living creative. However, there but may also be more diffuse use of the material. Other IP issues include the way that as part of signing up for many social media applications, one effectively agrees to use of one's data leading to loss of personal data sovereignty as well as privacy concerns.
Many countries have IP protection legislation, typically enacted to encouarge innovation, as inventors and creators know they can be rewarded for their efforts. However, IP protection varies across the world, so the trans-national nature of large AI companies may allow loopholes so that even where IP protection is present, it may be hard to enforce.
Used in glossary entries: generative AI, large language model, personal data sovereignty, privacy