Australian Writers' Guild welcomes Government proposal on Artificial Intelligence guardrails

04 September, 2024

The Australian Writers’ Guild welcomes the Government’s proposed guardrails for the safe and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in high-risk settings, which would include mandatory transparency around provenance of data and how datasets are used in AI systems.
 
AWG and AWGACS Group CEO Claire Pullen said: “These guardrails are a positive step towards establishing a regulatory framework that supports the existing intellectual property and economic rights of Australian writers and creatives.”
 
“We are pleased that the paper clearly states that it is the responsibility of an organisation to ensure that any data they use to train an AI system is legally obtained and that all data sources must be disclosed. We know it is not currently the case, and that our members’ work is being used to train generative AI and large language models (LLMs) without their consent. This won’t change until regulation is mandated.”
 
“It is positive to see recommendations on transparency and the documentation of data provenance, as well as supporting the exclusive economic rights of creators, in the proposal.”
 
“In our view, any AI framework must ensure consent, credit and compensation for creatives. It must also include specific provisions on First Nations content. We are pleased to see the government highlight in their paper the clear risks AI poses to First Nations’ cultural material being misappropriated and used without consent.”
 
There is deep concern from writers in the games sector that AI use in games may result in audiences being exposed to harmful or offensive content. 
 
“We fully support the recommendation that end-users must be informed regarding AI-enabled decisions, interactions with AI and AI-generated content as a first step in mitigating this risk, both in the games sector and beyond. Audience consent, as well as revising and future-proofing game classifications, is vital.
 
“We look forward to consulting with government over the coming months and working with the industry to ensure we arrive at a framework that protects the cultural assets, intellectual property and economic rights of Australian creatives, and delivers a rich and diverse cultural landscape for audiences.”
 
For more information, read the proposal paper HERE.