Researchers from the University of New South Wales have given the federal government a proposal called Copyright Plus, aimed at protecting Australian creators whose art, music and writing are used by generative AI companies without written consent or fair compensation.
The proposed policy would require companies to disclose their data sources. It would also honour the right of creators to opt out of having their work used for the purposes of AI.
A further element is a fair payment scheme for creators whose work has already been used without permission.
Kathy Bowrey, Professor in the Faculty of Law and Justice at the University of New South Wales, is featured in the story.
The concerns centre on generative AI systems that draw on creative works to produce new material. Creators across art, music and writing have raised the issue that their work is taken for this purpose without express, written consent, and without compensation paid to the original owners.
Copyright Plus is presented as a response to those concerns. Under the framework, the central obligation would fall on the companies building and training these systems, which would have to be open about where their data comes from. That disclosure is the foundation on which the other two elements rest, since creators cannot opt out of use they cannot see, or seek payment for material whose use is hidden.
The opt-out right would give creators a choice over whether their work becomes part of AI training. The payment scheme would deal with the past, offering compensation to those whose work has already been used without permission, so the proposal looks back as well as forward.
The story was produced by Danilo Facciorusso and first published on community and public broadcasting websites, including Radio Adelaide, Triple U, 4YOU 98.5FM Capricorn Community Radio, 4EB, 4CRB and 107.3 HFM. The proposal has been placed before the federal government, which has not yet been reported as responding to it.