People are vibe coding copyrighted apps with AI – will tech firms sue?
Every time a new technology hits the internet, there is a battle between the rights of users and major companies. To see how this will play out with AI, columnist Jacob Aron looks to examples from the past
AI technology is enabling individuals to create unofficial alternative versions of popular software, sparking concerns about potential legal action from tech firms. Dmytro Olegovich Zakharchuk, for example, has reportedly used AI to create his own Goodreads app in place of Amazon's, bypassing the company's terms of service. He claims to have avoided detection by designing the app to behave like a human user, making it harder to identify.
Similar instances of people using AI to remix and recreate software, such as free copycat Adobe Photoshop, ad-free smart TVs, and modified video games, suggest a growing trend. Despite the lack of immediate legal intervention, some experts anticipate that tech companies may eventually take action against such copyright infringements.
The rise of AI agents, which can autonomously perform tasks on the internet, adds another layer to this ongoing battle. Companies like Meta and Amazon are reportedly taking steps to curb the use of AI tools like Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots, reflecting the broader struggle between individual freedom and corporate interests in the digital landscape.
Written by urgent.news from New Scientist's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
