Irish artists have written to the Taoiseach and Government ministers urging them to prevent artificial intelligence (AI) platforms acting “with impunity” to profit from work they’ve created.
The Irish Creative Industries Forum (ICIF), which represents organisations from the likes of music, literature, photography and theatrical productions, told the Government that it should have a seat on the table of its AI advisory council given artists will be adversely affected by AI into the future.
“The ICIF welcomes the council's consideration of these effects on the sector, however, given the potential adverse impact - 24% of creators' income at risk by 2028 as stated in the AI Advice - we feel that our voices should be heard,” the group said.
Given advances in AI and its use by some of the world’s biggest tech and social media firms, numerous concerns have been raised about the negative impact it could have on many sectors, such as in education, and that it could displace jobs.
Within the arts, issues around deepfakes and copyright infringement have come to the fore, along with platforms using copyrighted material to train their AI models to reproduce the likes of artworks, poems and music.
Recently, the UK’s Society of Editors held a protest in London alleging that millions of copyrighted books had been used by the social media giant Meta to develop its AI systems.
In February, the Government’s AI advisory council published a series of industry-specific reports on issues facing those sectors and recommendations on what actions to take.
In the creative sector, the council said measures must be taken to protect artists and address AI misuse, including the extension of the universal basic income pilot to support creators affected by AI disruption and the revision of copyright laws to protect creators.
While artists welcomed some of the recommendations, others were cited as a cause for concern. It said there is a wholesale breach of current copyright laws going on at present, and rather than new rights for AI artwork, the existing laws must be enforced.
“AI can be a tool for advancing human creativity, but without an orderly market, based on robust copyright rules and the ability to exercise and enforce rights effectively, it presents a significant challenge to the entire creative sector,” it said.
Respecting intellectual property rights, seeking authorisations to use creative works and ensuring fair remuneration is the best way for the market to flourish.
The group added that the pursuit of innovation and preserving copyright holders’ interests are not mutually exclusive.
It said a beneficial outcome for all parties could be achieved where AI developers can lawfully access “quality human activity” and rights holders receive the appropriate remuneration for this. It also asked for its views to be considered going forward in this “rapidly developing area”.
Earlier this week, former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said he has sought legal advice after claiming Meta has used his books to train its artificial intelligence systems. In his claim, he listed several books which he alleges have been used by the tech company.
Mr Adams said: "Meta has used many of my books without my permission. I have placed the issue in the hands of my solicitor."
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