EU: 'Let authors and performers decide on the use of their work by AI', says group of creators to eurodeputies

"All generative AI models in existence today have been trained secretly on enormous amounts of copyright-protected content and personal data which have been scraped and copied from the internet, without any authorisation nor any remuneration for the creators we represent". In a letter sent on 25 July to newly elected members of the European Parliament, European creators' organisations urged MEPs to place the notions of transparency, consent and remuneration of authors and performers at the heart of all their initiatives related to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola (C) delivers a speech after being elected new President of the European Parliament during the first plenary session of the newly-elected European Assembly in Strasbourg, eastern France on July 16, 2024. (Photo by FREDERICK FLORIN / AFP)

While acknowledging the positive input AI can have on creation, the group, representing writers, translators, performers, composers, songwriters, screen directors, screenwriters, visual artists, journalists (IFJ/EFJ) and other creative workers, denounces the lack of EU legislative safeguards to protect creators against the threat of widespread use of their content by AI.

"In sharp contrast to current practices, we firmly believe that authors and performers must be able to decide whether their works should be used by generative AI and, if they do so, be fairly remunerated. As a new EU policy cycle is about to start, we urge you to support a clearer legal framework preserving the rights of creators and the integrity of their works".

The IFJ fully supports the urge to adopt an EU legislative framework that is fully protective of the rights of those behind creation, either books, news articles, photographs or videos and provide a space to creators' consent. Any attempt to allow a widespread use of creators' work without remuneration nor respect for their authors' rights will seriously hamper creators' earnings and ultimately result in a serious decline of European creativity.

Read the full statement here