May 11, 2025 News
Trump Dismisses Copyright Office Director Following AI Training Report
President Trump fired Shira Perlmutter, the Register of Copyrights, shortly after the Copyright Office released a report on AI training with copyrighted content. Representative Morelle linked the firing to Perlmutter's reluctance to support Elon Musk's interests in using copyrighted works for AI training, while the report itself suggested limitations on fair use claims when AI companies train on copyrighted materials.
Skynet Chance (+0.05%): The firing potentially signals reduced regulatory oversight on AI training data acquisition, which could lead to more aggressive and less constrained AI development practices. Removing officials who advocate for copyright limitations could reduce guardrails in AI development, increasing risks of uncontrolled advancement.
Skynet Date (-2 days): This political intervention suggests a potential streamlining of regulatory barriers for AI companies, possibly accelerating AI development timelines by reducing legal challenges to training data acquisition. The interference in regulatory bodies could create an environment of faster, less constrained AI advancement.
AGI Progress (+0.03%): Access to broader training data without copyright restrictions could marginally enhance AI capabilities by providing more diverse learning materials. However, this regulatory shift primarily affects data acquisition rather than core AGI research methodologies or architectural breakthroughs.
AGI Date (-1 days): Reduced copyright enforcement could accelerate AGI development timelines by removing legal impediments to training data acquisition and potentially decreasing associated costs. This political reshuffling suggests a potentially more permissive environment for AI companies to rapidly scale their training processes.
OpenAI and Microsoft Renegotiating Partnership Terms Amid Corporate Restructuring
OpenAI is reportedly in difficult negotiations with Microsoft regarding its planned corporate restructuring, which would maintain nonprofit board control while converting its business arm to a for-profit public benefit corporation. According to sources cited by the Financial Times, Microsoft is seeking to finalize its equity stake in the new entity, with discussions also covering extended access to OpenAI technology beyond the current 2030 agreement limit.
Skynet Chance (+0.04%): The increasing competitive tension between OpenAI and Microsoft could potentially weaken oversight mechanisms and accelerate pursuit of capabilities over safety, as commercial pressures may reduce alignment between the two organizations that previously served as mutual checks.
Skynet Date (-1 days): The negotiation around extended access to OpenAI technology beyond 2030 and the ambitious Stargate infrastructure project suggests an acceleration of commercial AI deployment timelines, potentially bringing forward scenarios where control issues might emerge.
AGI Progress (+0.01%): While this news primarily concerns business relationships rather than technical breakthroughs, the mention of the "wildly ambitious Stargate infrastructure project" hints at significant scaling plans that could contribute incrementally to overall AGI progress.
AGI Date (-2 days): Microsoft's interest in extending access to OpenAI technology beyond 2030 and the Stargate infrastructure investment suggest both companies anticipate accelerated AI capability development timelines, potentially bringing AGI-relevant technologies to market sooner than previously expected.