RSS Co-Creator Unveils 'Real Simple Licensing': AI Companies Now Pay to Play in the Data Sandbox

In a move that has the tech world both laughing and crying into their keyboards, the co-creator of RSS—because who doesn't love a good throwback to the early 2000s?—has launched a new protocol called Real Simple Licensing (RSL). This groundbreaking system promises to revolutionize how AI companies access training data, but only if they're willing to part with their hard-earned cash. Because nothing says "innovation" like a good old-fashioned paywall.

Dave Winer, the brains behind RSS and now RSL, announced the protocol with the enthusiasm of a used car salesman pitching a lemon. "We've simplified data licensing to its core," he declared, while adjusting his vintage "I Survived the Dot-Com Bubble" t-shirt. "It's so simple, even an AI could understand it—if it had a credit card, of course."

RSL works by allowing AI companies to license vast amounts of data through a straightforward, one-click process. Well, it's one click after filling out a 50-page terms of service agreement, providing blood samples, and promising your firstborn child. The protocol uses advanced blockchain technology—because what isn't improved by adding blockchain these days?—to ensure that every byte of data is tracked, traced, and monetized to within an inch of its life.

But here's the kicker: the licensing fees are based on a "fair use" model that's about as fair as a rigged carnival game. For example, training a basic chatbot might cost a few bucks, but if you want to build the next Skynet, be prepared to mortgage your startup. Winer explained, "We're just trying to compensate the original data creators. You know, the unsung heroes who post cat videos on YouTube and write angry comments on news articles."

The reaction from the AI community has been, unsurprisingly, a mix of sarcasm and despair. One developer quipped, "Great, now my AI can go into debt before it even learns to say 'Hello, World!'" Another added, "I was hoping for open data, but I guess we're stuck with open wallets."

In a satirical twist, RSL includes features like "Data Diners Club," where premium members get access to exclusive datasets, such as "Every Tweet Ever From 2016" or "All the Misspelled Words in Wikipedia." Because who wouldn't pay top dollar for that?

Despite the absurdity, Winer remains optimistic. "This is the future," he said, while demonstrating RSL by licensing his own blog posts for a nominal fee of $1,000 per word. "If we don't monetize data now, the AIs will take over and do it for us. And they probably won't give us a cut."

So, as AI companies scramble to budget for their new data habits, one thing is clear: in the world of tech, simplicity often comes with a price tag. And in this case, it's anything but simple.