Recently, a revelation from Bloomberg has sparked heated discussions among content creators. Tech giants like OpenAI and Google are purchasing unpublished video content from creators at high prices for training AI models. This move not only presents new business opportunities for creators but also gives "unused" videos a new value.
According to reports, these companies are seeking to buy "never-before-seen" videos, particularly unpublished content intended for platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. The offer ranges from $1 to $2 per minute, and for higher-quality videos, such as 4K resolution or drone footage, the price could be even higher. Overall, these transactions not only allow creators to profit from unpublished videos but also help mitigate potential financial losses they may encounter in video production.
Paul Kedrosky, a research assistant at MIT, expressed that the value of videos is higher "after they are dead" than "while they are alive," reflecting the growing importance of content creators in managing and controlling their video content rights. Meanwhile, a former editor at TechCrunch predicts that in the future, television and film production companies will also start selling complete video packages, including scripts and multiple shots, to AI companies to better train AI models.
Currently, several intermediary companies are involved in this industry chain, helping creators negotiate with AI companies. Some companies, like Troveo AI, have already paid over $5 million to content creators to collect video materials and package them for sale. Although this trend seems to provide a new source of income for creators, industry insiders warn that this window of opportunity may not last long, and creators need to seize the moment.
Additionally, to protect creators' rights, transactions typically include clauses to prevent copying, ensuring that AI companies cannot imitate creators' styles or use video materials in a way that harms their reputation. While Google and OpenAI have not yet made formal comments on this, content creators are generally optimistic about this new model.
With the development of AI technology, content creators are gradually gaining a voice in their interactions with tech companies. In this context, the future for creators seems to be full of limitless possibilities.
