‘Who Owns The Copyright?’: Tamil Nadu Kids, Gear Up To Publish Comic Book, Use ChatGPT To Nail Entrepreneur Skills

Tamil Nadu Minister TRB Rajaa was tagged in the post. (Representative Image)

AI chatbots aren’t just for homework anymore; they are helping turn kids into pro-entrepreneurs. And a new post on X (formerly Twitter) by a woman shows just how technology is shaping India’s next generation of creators.

In her post, educator Nandini Chilkam explained that a few days ago she had received a call from a young Tamil Nadu boy studying in class 9. He and his friends had created a comic and wanted her company, The Comic Library, to publish it.

“A few days ago, I got a call from a 9th standard boy in Palladam, Tiruppur district. He and his friends had created a comic and wanted us to publish it. I told him printing 2000 physical copies was expensive, but we could publish it digitally. Before continuing, I asked to speak with his parents,” she wrote on X.

The next day, his grandfather called, who assured her that the family was fully aware. Nandini said she felt relieved.

Meeting The Young Creators

Soon after, Nandini joined a conference call with all four creators: two artists, one story and dialogue writer, and one story writer who acted as the “front man.”

“The front man, Pon Ashwin, only in 9th standard, started off: “Sir, I’ll be doing the talking”,” she continued.

Then came the questions that left Nandini completely surprised: “Do we have to pay you or will you pay us? If we give you our content, what’s the profit share? Will there be a minimum guarantee? We’re minors, how will you pay us without bank accounts? Who signs the contract, us or our parents? If our parents sign, do they take our money or do we get it?”

Listening to these questions, Nandini admitted that she was “taken aback,” adding, “These weren’t kids’ questions, these were creator questions.”

Copyright And ChatGPT Help

When Nandini explained the concept of copyright, she expected confusion. Instead, Ashwin immediately asked, “Who owns it, you or us?” His question showed that he already understood the importance of intellectual property. When Nandini told him, “You own it,” he didn’t just stop there; he asked, “Where do I apply?”

Nandini was genuinely impressed and admitted, “Bro, how do you know all this? I can learn from you.” Ashwin smiled and explained the secret behind their knowledge: “Ma’am, ChatGPT irukku, Google irukku, Gemini irukku. It’s easy (Ma’am, ChatGPT is there, Google is there, Gemini is there. It’s easy).”

Creating The Right Environment For Young Minds

This experience reminded Nandini of Tamil Nadu Minister TRB. Rajaa’s words: “You nurture, create the right environment, listen and provide support to enable overall growth. That’s when growth happens steadily and sustainably.” She also asked the minister whether comics on entrepreneurship and finance could be introduced to children.

“My co-founder Abhishek R and I would love to connect with you on this. We are a Chennai-based comic startup and would be glad to share our portfolio,” Nandini concluded. In a follow-up tweet, Abhishek shared a sample of the comic created by the 9th standard student.