A group of screen industry guilds have issued a joint submission to the Productivity Committee, which encourages action against AI developers using stolen or uncompensated work.
Australian Writers Guilds (AWG), Australian Writers Guilds Writers Collecting Association (AWGACS), Australian Cinematographer Association, Australian Directors Guilds, Australian Screen Directors Authors Collection Association (ASDACS), Australian Guild Guilds Screen Composer, Australian Production Design Guilds, and Australian Screen Editors will advance Digital Editors. One of five pillars identified as a high priority reform area.
Under the area of policy reform that “enables the productivity potential of AI,” the committee points out that “malicious or reckless” use poses risks, whereas Australia’s AI-based systems can produce “significant productivity benefits.”
We have set up a new survey to “monitor and review whether existing regulations are appropriate for AI technology.”
Submissions from the guild identify copyright infringement of creative workers as their primary concern, the federal government recognizes that the infringement has been made, consent is given before their consent “trains” the AI dataset and an appropriate compensation model is established to give consent. They also seek compensation and rectification processes for already-initiated infringement, including removing work from the model.
AWG Executive Director Claire Poulen previously discussed the potential impact of AI in promoting culture at last year’s Canadian Digital Age Conference, appearing before a U.S. Senate investigation into the risks and opportunities of adoption, saying it is contrary to Australia’s economic and cultural interests to allow foreign companies to stolen work and exploit creative workers.
“Australia has a sound copyright framework on how to deal with the theft of intellectual property of creative workers,” she said.
“We are not seeking irrational concessions. The government is ensuring that existing laws apply to this blatant theft to the present and the future. Our creative industry is a billion dollar industry, and our Australian audience wants more of what we create.”
As part of their submission, the guild outlined examples of copyright infringement related to already occurring AI, including a dataset of pirate e-books known as Books3, which companies such as Meta, Eleutherrai and Bloomberg use to train generated AI models.
He also noted that AI companies “acknowledge that their models rely on fraudulent and unimmunized use of uncopyrighted work,” while also paying attention to a class action lawsuit of copyright infringement from the US author guild over the use of the pirated dataset.
Since its inception, AWGACS, the Secondary Royalty Collection Association for Screenwriters and Authors in Australia and New Zealand, has collected and distributed over $33 million to creative workers. ASDACS, the Secondary Royalty Collection Association for Screen Directors in Australia and New Zealand, has collected and distributed $21 million.
The guild believes that revenue and tax revenue revenues are at risk if companies continue to uncheck their AI systems.
“Reward schemes are essential to maintain the livelihoods of creators and authors and ensure that they are significantly compensated for the exploitation of work on AI platforms.”
“Without this, there is a major threat to Australia’s creative innovation and economic growth in the creative sector.”
Data submitted to the Productivity Committee and a referral to surveys on digital technology utilization (June 6), 11.59pm AEST.
