Joint Letter: Protect Artists' Rights in AI Era
14 author and performer federations urge EU CULT Committee to safeguard creative communities through ART principles (Authorization, Remuneration, Transparency).
The European Writers Council and 13 partner organizations representing hundreds of thousands of writers, translators, journalists, performers, composers, visual artists, and cultural workers have signed a joint letter to the European Parliament's Culture and Education (CULT) Committee. This advocacy initiative calls for an ambitious report on 'Cultural and creative sectors in the age of AI' to protect Europe's creative communities from unauthorized use of their works by AI companies.
The coalition addresses critical concerns about AI's impact on cultural sectors, including massive unauthorized use of creators' works, unfair competition from AI-generated outputs, erosion of trust in news and media, and threats to cultural and linguistic diversity. They specifically advocate for upholding three key principles: Authorization (artists' right to authorize or prohibit AI use of their work), Remuneration (fair payment for AI use), and Transparency (clear labeling of AI-generated content).
Key demands include: reaffirming artists' rights to authorize and prohibit AI use of their works with fair compensation; enabling efficient rights reservation through multiple methods; ensuring transparent labeling of AI-generated outputs through effective implementation of Article 50 of the AI Act; and imposing transparency obligations on digital platforms. The letter highlights sector-specific concerns, such as 60,000+ AI-generated tracks uploaded daily to music streaming platforms and thousands of unlabeled AI-generated books on platforms like Amazon deceiving readers.
This is a policy advocacy initiative rather than a traditional artist opportunity, but it represents important work by professional organizations to shape EU cultural policy and protect creators' interests in the age of artificial intelligence.