A writer is suing Grammarly for turning her and other authors into ‘AI editors’ without consent
Journalist Julia Angwin is suing Grammarly for using the likenesses of writers like Stephen King and Kara Swisher in its new AI-powered 'Expert Review' feature without their consent.Summary
Grammarly recently launched a feature called “Expert Review” that uses AI to mimic the editorial feedback of well-known figures, including authors and journalists. However, the company did not obtain permission from the individuals it included in the feature, leading to a class action lawsuit filed by journalist Julia Angwin. Angwin argues that Grammarly violated the privacy and publicity rights of herself and other writers by impersonating their expertise.
Critics have pointed out the irony of Angwin, a privacy investigator, being affected by this technology, as well as the inclusion of AI ethicist Timnit Gebru. Initial tests of the feature revealed that the AI-generated feedback was often generic and unhelpful, raising questions about the purpose of using the writers’ likenesses. Kara Swisher, one of the writers impersonated, expressed strong disapproval, calling Grammarly “rapacious” and stating they “suck.”
Grammarly has since disabled the “Expert Review” feature, and Superhuman CEO Shishir Mehrotra issued an apology while defending the feature’s concept. The lawsuit highlights growing concerns about the ethical implications of AI and the unauthorized use of individuals’ identities and expertise.
(Source：TechCrunch)