Generative AI has been a controversial topic, and while many have adopted it, many have pushed against it, especially due to how it’s often trained by stretching (or breaking) the values of intellectual property.
Microsoft has been at the forefront of promoting generative AI, which isn’t very surprising considering that the company has massive investments tied into the technology.
Apparently, the company has started to target another audience that may be more amenable than adults to be convinced to use generative AI without questioning the issues behind its training and applications: children.
Today, Microsoft used its Minecraft Education channel to launch a video titled “AI Skills Fest: Build AI Skills with Minecraft.”
The video uses the popular Minecraft characters Agent and Chicken to promote the use of generative AI to find information and solve problems, like creating a basketball trick shot.
It touches on the training of generative AI, and while it mentions the concept (without really explaining it in any satisfactory way) of using it “responsibly” it completely avoids making any mention of the fact that said training often involves clashing with intellectual property and pretty much using other people’s work without their express or implied permission.
You can check out the video below.
A dedicated website has also been opened, aimed at parents and educators, encouraging them to “watch, share, and talk about these videos with the young people in their life.”
Interestingly, in a document describing a curriculum overview on AI foundations, we find “explain the beneficial and harmful effects that intellectual property laws can
have on innovation.”
The implication that intellectual property protections may have “harmful” effects on innovation is certainly concerning when applied to a technology that is currently being accused (arguably rightfully) of harming intellectual property, especially when the concept is sold to children who may be less inclined to question said teachings.
It’s also relevant to mention that said curriculum is proposed for Grades between 3 and 9, spanning Ages between 8 and 14.
Generative AI continues to spark discussion in many fields, from art to the job market and even journalism (in case you’re wondering, at Simulation Daily, our writers and editors are explicitly forbidden from using any form of Generative AI. Our content is generated exclusively by our own brains and effort), and Microsoft has been trying actively to involve the technology in game development and even in the fruition of games, which is certainly a reason for concern and scrutiny.
