Corpus’ goal is to give small media and entertainment companies, and independent creators, the opportunity to license their content to AI companies that want to train their models.
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An artificial intelligence startup focused on the media and entertainment sector is launching a new product that enables media companies and creators to license their content to AI model developers.
Avail, which already has a script-summarizing tool widely used by talent agencies and studio executives, is unveiling a new product called “Corpus” on Thursday.
“We were really interested in helping these smaller media companies and individual creators participate in this opportunity, because while the big licensing deals that you see are between very large media companies and large generative AI models, there are actually two other types of parties here,” says Avail CEO Chris Giliberti. “You also have smaller rights holders who have very valuable data and libraries but aren’t large enough to make individual deals with OpenAI. You also have smaller generative AI companies that are looking for smaller datasets.”
Giliberti, who previously founded Gimlet Pictures and then led Spotify’s TV and film business, said the company already has two media partners in Spanish-language podcast production company Sonoro and short-form video network Mad Realities, and that YouTubers and other creators will also be a priority.
“YouTubers are going to be a really big focus for us, because if the chatbot knows who the YouTubers are, it can introduce valuable viewers to them,” Giliberti said. “And in order to know who the YouTubers are, we need to train it with their data. And, you know, this is a big dark spot for model developers, and they’re desperate to get more YouTube content.”
The CEO said that they work with a number of AI companies, from “the largest model development companies” to “smaller application layer companies that are looking to build very specific types of AI applications.”
“Different models have different powers that are looking to buy data,” Giliberti said of the opportunity for media companies and creators. “So we can look at our library and understand that this is STEM content. And these particular models are looking for STEM content right now…There’s no one-size-fits-all right now, and on the model side, they’re all working against certain priorities.”
Avail, which last year released the first script-summarizing tool targeted at Hollywood studios, agents and other industry players who are under pressure to pitch, is backed by Shari Redstone’s Advancit Capital, Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six and venture capital firm General Catalyst.
Corpus’ goal is to give small media and entertainment companies, as well as independent creators, the opportunity to license their content to AI companies that want to train their models. With big players like OpenAI, Google, and Meta all having deals with major media companies and platforms like Reddit, smaller companies often find themselves in a bind.
“We want to help rights holders get cited and compensated, which is crucial as long-standing search and advertising revenue models are collapsing,” Giliberti said.
