Recently, there have been reports that AI giants like OpenAI and Google are directly purchasing unpublished videos from content creators to train their AI models. The companies are paying between $1 to $4 per minute, with higher prices offered for high-quality 4K videos, drone footage, and 3D animation materials.
Ordinary unused video content from platforms like YouTube or TikTok sells for between $1 to $2 per minute, and these transactions often amount to thousands of dollars.
To handle the complex issues of video copyright, these companies are collaborating with specialized agencies like Troveo AI and Calliope Networks. Marty Pesis, the CEO of Troveo, stated that almost all companies developing video models are either collaborating with them or in discussions, and they have already paid creators over $5 million.
According to Dan Levitt from Wasserman, the current market situation is described as an arms race for video content. He believes that in the coming years, this will be a lucrative licensing window, but he also warns that this opportunity will not last forever.
The signed contracts include protective clauses to ensure that AI companies cannot create digital replicas of the creators or reproduce specific scenes from their channels in ways that could harm the creators' reputations. In addition to directly purchasing videos, Google has recently launched a new feature allowing creators to control whether AI companies can use their public videos for training.
Potential licensees include over 17 companies, including OpenAI, Meta, and Microsoft. The prohibition on unauthorized content scraping by YouTube makes them ideal intermediaries to profit from future licensing deals.
AI companies are eager to obtain this video data to build their video generators like Sora and Veo. However, some researchers believe that these large video datasets could help create a world simulator. Although this theory remains scientifically controversial, they argue that exposure to vast amounts of video aids AI systems in gaining a deeper understanding of physical reality, thereby enhancing their generalization capabilities.
This trend has brought unexpected benefits to content creators. Many filmmakers produce hundreds of hours of footage each year, and this previously worthless unpublished content can now generate actual income through sales of these cut materials.
Key Points:
🌟 Companies like OpenAI and Google are purchasing unpublished videos from creators at prices ranging from $1 to $4 per minute for AI model training.
📹 High-quality videos (like 4K and drone footage) receive higher bids, while ordinary unused content is priced between $1 to $2.
📝 Contracts include protective clauses to ensure creators' rights, and Google allows creators to control AI's access to their public videos.
