The Australian Writers’ Guild welcomes the recommendations of the Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI), including an urgent call for transparency around the use of copyrighted works by AI developers and fair remuneration for creators.
The report contains a damning assessment of the “widespread theft of tens of thousands of Australians’ creative works by big multinational tech companies, without authorisation or remuneration”, labelling the act as unlawful and criticising the current lack of transparency by AI developers, including Google, Amazon and Meta.
AWG and AWGACS Group CEO ClairePullen said: “It’s gratifying to see the Committee accurately describe the contradictory and farcical arguments of big tech companies that have taken Australian work without paying for it. It shouldn’t take a senate Committee to make it clear that this is stealing.”
“The AWG welcomes the Committee’s strong support of creators.”
The report, which covers the potential impacts and opportunities of the use of AI technologies across a range of Australian industries, paid specific attention to the creative industries, labelling them as “acutely and urgently at risk” of the impacts of unregulated AI.
“This is a real concern among Australian creatives,” said Pullen. “In a survey of our members quoted in the Committee’s report, 94% of respondents expressed concern for their livelihoods if AI use continues in the industry without regulation.”
“Australia’s storytelling is rich and we have a unique cultural identity, all at risk if we don’t adequately address the theft that has already taken place. Until this is achieved, any discussions of the opportunities AI may present to the industry are moot.”
“This is a question that goes beyond copyright – who tells our stories and how, and how do we make sure Australian creators have a job where they can keep telling us the yarns we love?”
Recommendations 8-10 of the report specifically address the creative industries, with the committee calling on the Australian Government to:
- continue to consult with creative workers through the Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Reference Group (CAIRG) on the theft of their work;
- require AI developers to be transparent in their use of copyrighted works, and to license and pay for any copyrighted works used to train datasets; and
- to undertake further consultation with the creative industry to ensure fair remuneration is paid to creators for any commercial AI-generated outputs.
“It’s been over a year since we first learned our members’ work had been used to train AI datasets, and since then we’ve been out front, working as part of CAIRG, talking to government and campaigning for our members’ rights. This report is a solid step towards ensuring big tech has to play by the rules,” said Pullen.
“We look forward to continuing this work with government to build a robust framework that protects the economic and intellectual property rights of Australian artists, and delivers a rich and diverse screen and stage culture for audiences.”
Read the full report HERE.
Read our submission to the inquiry HERE.
