1. Advocacy
  2. Call to Action

As part of a global effort to demand regulation for artificial intelligence developers, The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) has launched a Parliamentary Petition calling for radical transparency for AI training processes and the works they subsequently produce. 

TWUC’s sister organization in the U.K., the Society of Authors (SoA), is rallying behind a U.K.-based advocacy campaign called We Are Better Than This, calling out the technology sector for its ongoing unpermitted uses of copyright protected works and our governments for not doing more to protect creative labour and the value of our work. 

This is your call to action: 

  • View, like, and share the video campaign We Are Better Than This.
  • Sign TWUC’s Parliamentary Petition, and confirm your support for it when you receive the confirmation email. 
  • Share the link to the petition as widely as possible — make an appeal to your professional and personal networks to have them stand up for your rights as an author. 
  • Share the petition information and the video link with your Member of Parliament. 
  • Like and reshare all of the Union’s social media posts about this campaign. 

Our lawmakers in Ottawa are being inundated with lobbying from the technology sector, trying to dissuade them from serious and effective regulation. TWUC is concerned the voices of professional creators are being drowned out by tech’s promises of a golden future of AI investment. 

Let’s make our voices heard. We Are Better Than This!

TWUC’s Parliamentary Petition

We are calling upon the House of Commons to:
1. Amend relevant laws, statutes, and regulations to require full disclosure from AI developers of the copyrighted works used to train generative AI. Such disclosure should contain enough detail for creators to identify use of their own work, enforce their rights, negotiate licences, and be fairly paid;
2. Introduce regulation requiring transparency on Generative AI outputs so that they are marked/labelled as the product of artificial intelligence, to provide consumer certainty and protection from fraud and fakery.
SIGN THE PETITION

We Are Better Than This

Stop the theft!
Stand up for creativity!
Shape a better future!

The government are protecting big tech instead of the people. That’s why we must take action. When we come together we can safeguard our creativity and shape a better future.
WATCH THE VIDEO
We are better than this

Stronger Together

TWUC’s advocacy is most effective as the collective voice of Canada’s professional authors. We are stronger together. If you are not already a member of TWUC and are working as a writer, consider joining the Union. If you wish to support TWUC’s advocacy outside of membership, consider donating to the Union.