They met on May 20-21 with top EU policymakers and join forces with other leaders from the cultural and creative sector to call for proper implementation of the EU law to ensure transparency, consent and remuneration for creators in the generative AI market.
Creators and the creative sector are expressing deep concerns about the implementation of the EU’s AI Act, where the Code of Practice and Transparency Template for generative AI services risk imperilling creators’ rights and perpetuating the lack of transparency by AI companies. The entire creative sector, supported by the European Parliament, is mobilised to deliver a unified message: the future of AI in Europe must respect creators’ rights, uphold transparency, and aim at a mutually beneficial market for creativity and innovation.
Björn Ulvaeus was joined by European creators, including Marika, Alice Wonder, Patrick Sigwalt, Brice Homes, to urge lawmakers to ensure that the rollout of the EU AI Act remains true to its original purpose. — leading on ethical, human-centric AI that supports creativity, and its implementation leads to creation of a functioning licensing market that ensure appropriate remuneration of creators.
The current drafts of the AI Code of Practice and Transparency Template fall short of legal requirements under the AI Act and risk enabling the unauthorised exploitation of creative content.
The creators' coalition is urging the Commission to correct the course of these drafts, safeguard creators’ rights and ensure the EU leads the world in responsible AI that empowers, not erodes, cultural and creative ecosystems.
Europe’s copyright-intensive industries, contribute nearly 7% of EU GDP and support over 17 million jobs.
Quote from Björn Ulvaeus, President of CISAC
“We must never be seduced by the false idea that, in the headlong rush to the new AI world, creators’ interests must be cast aside. That approach won’t work – not for the creative sector, not for the economy, or for culture, or even for the tech sector whose vast AI revenues, let’s not forget, derive from copyrighted creative works made by humans. The vision has to be a win-win for creators and the tech industry. That can only happen with legislation that truly and effectively safeguards creators.”
High-level engagements:
The delegation’s agenda includes:
- A meeting with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, where creators will highlight urgent concerns about the current developments and ask continuous support of the European Parliament to keep the AI Act’s implementation faithful to its word and spirit, as adopted by them.
- A keynote intervention by Björn Ulvaeus during the European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education's Public Hearing “Empowering Creators in the Age of AI”,
- Meeting with EU Commissioner for Culture Glenn Micallef to discuss the Commission’s approach to AI and culture and advocate for a policy framework that prioritises a mutually beneficial market for creativity and innovation based on collective licensing and fair remuneration of creators.
- A evening event at the European Parliament, organised by a broad rightholders coalition and hosted by MEPs Brando Benifei and Michael McNamara. The event will bring leaders from creative sector, including Björn Ulveus, Olivier Nusse (Universal Music France), Christian van Thillo (DPG Media), Anne-Sylvie Bameule (Actes Sud), and Jesús Badenes del Río (Planeta Books) together with Members of the European Parliament, Member States’ representatives, and Commission officials
As part of the growing campaign of the broad coalition of rightholders, the event sends a strong political and public message: Stay True to the Act, Stay true to the Art.
Adriana Moscoso del Prado, General Manager of GESAC says:
“European creators and their societies are concerned, mobilized and fully engaged in the AI debate to make sure that Europe leads globally as a fair, competitive, values-based, human-centric and responsible AI Continent. We should resist the pressure and threats against this objective and make major global AI services comply with EU rules and values, including copyright/authors’ rights, when they enter the EU market.”
Gadi Oron Director General of CISAC says:
“The EU AI Act was adopted with a clear goal: to ensure transparency and accountability in the AI landscape, in order to safeguard the value of culture and creative works. Diluting that through weak implementation would undermine the future of Europe’s creative economy. Creators and the creative sector across the world are looking for the EU to set an example, uphold its own copyright principles and laws, and ensure that AI operators respect consent, transparency, rights and remuneration.”