The company's AI tool, Copilot, has also sparked controversy, with critics arguing that it capitalizes on the work of the open source community without proper attribution. The tool, which suggests lines or functions as a developer types, has been accused of violating copyright law, leading to a lawsuit against GitHub. In response, the company has introduced features such as duplication detection and code-referencing to address these concerns. Despite these challenges, McKinley remains focused on advocating for developers and open source development in the face of increasing AI regulation.
Key takeaways:
- GitHub’s chief legal officer, Shelley McKinley, has been dealing with legal issues surrounding the company's AI tool, Copilot, and the recently passed AI Act in the European Parliament.
- The AI Act, which is set to govern AI applications based on their perceived risks, has been criticized by GitHub for its unclear language on how the rules might create legal liability for open source software developers.
- GitHub has been lobbying for exemptions for developers working on open source general purpose AI technology, and the AI Act now includes some exemptions for AI models and systems released under free and open-source licenses.
- GitHub's AI tool, Copilot, has faced criticism and legal action from the open source community for allegedly violating copyright law by using code generated by other developers without proper attribution.