Last week, the Ethical Web Data Collection Initiative (EWDCI) submitted its response to the U.S. government’s Request for Information on the development of a national AI Action Plan. As a global coalition committed to ethical Internet governance, we welcome the opportunity to provide guidance—not because we’re chasing our own business advantages in artificial intelligence, but because what the U.S. does next will reverberate across the entire Internet.
Yes, we’re publishing our response. And yes, we’ve seen the headlines around OpenAI’s filing, which declares that if the U.S. can’t train AI on copyrighted content under fair use, the AI race is “effectively over.” Their warning? Unless the U.S. favorably interprets copyright protection and fair use doctrine, China wins.
Let’s be clear: the stakes are high. We agree that data access is critical for innovation—and that global AI leadership depends on making the right moves, right now. But that’s exactly why the next steps need to be principled, not panicked.
What Feeds AI Feeds the Future
The Internet is not just raw fuel for hungry generative models. It’s an ecosystem of people, cultures, languages, and creativity—much of it contributed freely, but not without care. If we strip-mine that ecosystem in the name of competition, we aren’t only hurting creators or rights-holders. We risk undermining the very source of AI’s strength: the diverse, dynamic web of knowledge and expression that AI learns from.
OpenAI’s call for “freedom to learn” reflects a real concern—but freedom doesn’t mean free-for-all. The global AI community—which includes U.S. regulators—must acknowledge that web scraping isn’t inherently wrong, but unethical scraping is dangerous. It creates brittle systems, erodes trust, and fractures the very Internet that made modern AI possible.
Balance Isn’t Weakness—It’s Strategy
Our submission offers a blueprint for what that balance can look like:
- Encourage the use of open, well-documented, and transparent datasets.
- Bake privacy and bias mitigation into AI systems from the start—not as afterthoughts.
- Lead internationally by aligning with global ethical frameworks, like UNESCO’s AI recommendations, rather than isolating U.S. policy.
In short, our message to the U.S. isn’t “don’t compete.” What we’re saying is as simple as it is important: lead with a sense of responsibility, and don’t break what made you strong in the first place.
The AI race isn’t just about speed. It’s about direction. The global community—including companies, governments, and civil society—has a shared interest in getting this right. That’s why EWDCI exists: to advocate for data practices that enable powerful, ethical AI without compromising the health of the Internet or the rights of the people who make it what it is.
We hope the U.S. will lead—ethically, collaboratively, and looking strategically ahead to the long-term consequences of its decisions. Because winning the AI race means nothing if you burn the track behind you.