AI Video Generator Under Fire for Scraping 1700 MKBHD YouTube Videos without Consent

According to a recently published report, Runway’s AI video generator tool was trained using thousands of YouTube videos from popular content creators such as Marques Brownlee.

According to a 404 Media report, Runaway’s AI video generator, which is highly favored by users, has allegedly been trained on YouTube videos without the permission of their creators.

A database of training information provided by the company consists of videos from well-known influencers and creators such as Marques Brownlee, Casey Neistat, Sam Kolder, Benjamin Hardman, and many others.

Well well well. Runway AI video generator was trained on YouTube videos without permission, including 1600+ MKBHD videos 🫠https://t.co/U4s5KIq1XZ

— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) July 25, 2024

The AI tool has also allegedly extracted material from the YouTube accounts of numerous media and entertainment organizations, such as The New Yorker, VICE News, Pixar, Disney, Netflix, Sony, and various others.

MKBHD’s statement confirmed that all 1,709 of his videos were utilized for AI training. However, 404 Media was unable to verify if every video listed in the spreadsheet was indeed utilized for training Runway AI. It is plausible that certain content was excluded at a later point, or that not all links on the spreadsheet were collected.

AI training under fire

The announcement follows a Wired article that accused Apple, Nvidia, and other companies of utilizing content from popular YouTubers (such as MKBHD) to develop their AI algorithms.

The reception on social media towards the impending influx of AI scrapers has been far from positive.

A user commented on MKBHD’s post on X, expressing concern about the lack of proper training and sourcing of data for these models in the Wild West.

“Another user expressed concern, stating, ‘Without proper laws and rules, this could become a slippery slope.’ This sentiment was echoed by one user who observed that it seems to be a recurring issue.”

Despite 404 Media being informed by YouTube that this breaches their privacy policy, it remains uncertain whether any measures will be taken against the individual responsible for creating the AI model.