Shutterstock is reshaping the way in which AI corporations access training data through a novel “research license” approach, starting first with an AI creative technology company Lightricks. The partnership announced today enables Lightricks to coach its open source video generation model LTXV using Shutterstock's extensive HD and 4K video library.
The latest licensing model addresses a key challenge in AI development: the high costs of accessing high-quality training data. It allows corporations to begin with a smaller research license to check and experiment before committing to dearer industrial licenses.
Making ethical AI development more accessible to startups
“Many corporations and model trainers have gone down the trail of unauthorized data scraping (as an alternative of) making the vital investments to attain the standard and level of trust required to develop commercially viable models,” said Daniel Mandell, global Head of Data Licensing and AI at Shutterstock, in an exclusive interview with VentureBeat. “However, we don’t imagine that financial investment must be a barrier for individuals who wish to enter this field with an ethical approach.”
This two-phase approach could change the way in which startups approach AI development. Craig Andrews, Lightricks' global PR manager, describes it as “a game-changer for smaller, more agile developers seeking to explore revolutionary applications of generative AI without the high up-front costs of traditional licensing.”
Legal protection and fair compensation within the age of AI
The timing is important as AI training data practices face increasing legal scrutiny. Several major AI corporations are facing lawsuits over alleged unauthorized use of copyrighted material for model training. Shutterstock's approach offers a legitimate alternative while ensuring content creators receive compensation.
“We are setting a regular for ethical AI development while ensuring that developers are fairly compensated for his or her work,” explains Andrews. “This approach not only promotes trust within the creative ecosystem, but additionally creates a sustainable framework for responsible AI innovation.”
Revenue sharing: A win-win for YouTubers and AI corporations
Shutterstock has implemented a revenue share model where contributors receive 20% of revenue from data licensing agreements. Contributors may opt out of getting their content used for AI training, although Mandell notes that only about 1% have chosen to achieve this.
Lightricks plans to make use of the licensed video data to enhance LTXV, its open source video generation model released last month. The model has already gained significant traction with “hundreds of downloads”. GitHub And Hugging face“said Andrews. One notable use case is real-time video generation for interactive e-commerce.
The partnership goals to deal with technical challenges in AI video generation, particularly motion consistency in longer videos. “One of the most important technical hurdles in AI video generation is achieving consistent motion and structure across longer video segments without sacrificing quality,” says Andrews. “Shutterstock’s high-quality video library provides a wealthy dataset to assist us address this challenge.”
For Shutterstock, this partnership represents a strategic shift in its business model. The company has already established partnerships with major AI corporations, including Nvidia, MetaAnd OpenAI. Mandell emphasizes that the research licensing model could democratize access to high-quality training data for smaller organizations and research institutions.
We are setting latest industry standards for ethical AI development
The collaboration also reflects a growing trend toward transparency and ethical considerations in AI development. Lightricks has open-sourced LTXV to encourage collaboration and innovation, while Shutterstock's licensing approach ensures fair compensation for content creators.
“The necessary message here is that corporations, no matter size or funding, now not have an excuse to access unlicensed content for training purposes,” concludes Mandell. “There is a greater strategy to enter this evolving market.”
This partnership could set a brand new standard for the way AI corporations access training data, potentially influencing industry practices as concerns in regards to the sources of AI training data proceed to grow. The success of this model could determine whether other content providers follow Shutterstock's lead and create more flexible, accessible licensing options for AI development.
