The government of Australia is contemplating weakening copyright protections for all artists in order to provide broad permission for training uses to developers of artificial intelligence. This is a surprise 180-degree policy turn, after Australian PM Anthony Albanese vowed to protect artists in the face of AI in a widely hailed speech last July. Media reports from Australia often indicate a strong pro-artist stance from government, even as they inch closer and closer to a damaging new change to their law.
Creative professionals around the world look on with growing concern, as any one country giving in to a concerted lobby effort by Big Tech opens the door for an AI training free-for-all of everyone’s work in that territory. A legal shift in Australia would also pre-empt and disrupt ongoing litigation against unpermitted training. Artists in the U.K. beat back a similar proposal from their Labour government last year.
The Writers’ Union of Canada is working closely with our global colleagues to rally artist response to the Australian proposal. Union members, and all supporters of professional creativity are encouraged to sign a statement hosted by the U.S. Authors Guild.
