Tech Explained: Here’s a simplified explanation of the latest technology update around Tech Explained: REGISTER: AI & Copyright Licensing – A New Frontier – National Press Foundation in Simple Termsand what it means for users..
Generative AI is one of the biggest technological and cultural stories of our time – and one of the hardest to explain. As AI companies train models on news articles, books, images and music, reporters face tough questions about permission, transparency and fair use. Should AI companies pay when creative works are used to train their AI models? Where’s the line between innovation and theft?
The National Press Foundation will host a webinar to help journalists make sense of the evolving AI licensing landscape and report on it with clarity and confidence. We’ll unpack what “AI licensing” really means, how early one-off deals are turning into structured revenue-sharing systems, and why recent agreements in media and entertainment could shift the conversation from conflict to cooperation.
Join NPF and a panel of experts for a free online briefing from 12-1 p.m. ET, Feb. 19, 2026. The practical, forward-looking discussion examines how trust, creativity, and innovation can coexist as this new era unfolds and will equip journalists with plain-language explanations, real-world examples, and story angles that help readers understand why AI licensing matters to culture, innovation and the creative ecosystem they rely on every day.
12-1 p.m. ET, Feb. 19, 2026
Panelists will include those with AI, legal and journalistic backgrounds, including:
- Jonathan Barnett, University of Southern California School of Law professor and director of its Media, Entertainment and Technology Law Program
- Sara Guaglione, a senior media reporter at Digiday
- Michael D. Smith, Carnegie Mellon University professor of information technology and public policy; co-director of the Initiative for Digital Entertainment Analytics
Register for this free webinar for a variety of ways to participate:
- Tune in live to submit questions to the panelists during the Q&A.
- Send questions for the experts in advance to anne@nationalpress.org.
- Receive the recording after the event.
This webinar is the second in a series on AI and IP. Watch our Jan. 22 AI, Intellectual Property and the Emerging Legal Landscape here:
This event is sponsored by The Copyright Alliance and NSG Next Solutions Group. The National Press Foundation is solely responsible for its content.