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More than 24 organizations representing creators and rights holders have signed a joint statement seeking ‘meaningful implementation of the AI Act.’
Organizations like GESAC, IMPALA, IFPI, and several others seek the ability for creators and rights holders to enforce their rights when it comes to ingesting and copying copyright-protected works for training by AI models. The open letter is addressed to the European Parliament in support of the AI Act.
“The AI Act is a pioneering model of ethical and responsible AI regulation that sets the basis for best practice at global level,” the joint statement begins. “If implemented and applied effectively it will foster an environment in the EU where AI innovation can develop in an ethical and accountable way alongside flourishing cultural and creative industries across the EU.”
The EU Artificial Intelligence Act aims to set a global standard for AI regulation, much the same way the GDPR did for consumer data privacy. An artificial intelligence system is defined in the AI Act as any machine-based system that operates autonomously to generate outputs such as predictions, recommendations, or decisions affecting physical or virtual environments. The broad definition chosen was inspired by OECD guidelines and is designed to be future-proof and cover a wide range of technologies, from generative AI, deep learning, and more conventional data analysis techniques.
Creator societies and rights holder organizations say they’re dealing with a seriously detrimental situation of generative AI companies taking content without authorization “on an industrial scale.” This open letter states, “Their actions result in illegal commercial gains and unfair competitive advantages for their AI models, services, and products—in violation of European copyright laws.”
“The implementation and application of the EU’s new AI Act provides a crucial opportunity to address such malpractices and ensure accountability in the AI industry. It should aim at achieving a healthy and sustainable licensing market that encourages responsible AI innovation and complies with core principles of fair market competition and remuneration for creators and rights holders, while effectively preventing unauthorized uses of their works.”
“To achieve this, the rules provided in the AI Act—from the obligation for general purpose AI model providers to make publicly available a sufficiently detailed summary of the content used for training of their models to the obligation for such providers to demonstrate that they have put in place policies to respect EU copyright law—must be made meaningful.”
“As is made clear under the AI Act, these measures should enable creators and rights holders to exercise and enforce their rights when it comes to ingesting and copying copyright-protected works for training by AI models. This is not only essential for safeguarding the value of Europe’s world-renowned creative content in a global marketplace, but also for ensuring that AI services generate outputs based on high-quality, diverse, and trust-worthy inputs.”
“We support the standards you have set in the AI Act that should enable the cultural and creative industries to evolve and thrive. We now ask for your continued support in translating them into concrete steps in the forthcoming implementation phase to ensure a fair and equitable framework, where AI and innovation in the EU also safeguards and strengthens cultural and creative industries.”