Government rules out copyright exemption for AI training

The federal Labor government has flatly rejected calls from the likes of Google, OpenAI, and the Productivity Commission to carve out a copyright exemption for AI training data.

Attorney General Michelle Rowland announced the policy direction on Sunday with the usual spiel about how AI was probably going to be great for the economy.

“Artificial Intelligence presents significant opportunities for Australia and our economy, however it’s important that Australian creatives benefit from these opportunities too,” she said.

“Australian creatives are not only world class, but they are also the lifeblood of Australian culture, and we must ensure the right legal protections are in place.”

“This Government has repeatedly said that there are no plans to weaken copyright protections when it comes to AI.”

Rowland added that it was now up to the artists and tech companies to figure out how compensation will work and that the government “will support these next steps”.

Artists have been pleading with the government to not force them to hand over their intellectual property to the very machines that threaten their livelihoods.

Earlier this month, artists told a senate committee on copyright reform that letting tech firms take their data outright would spell the end of the arts.

A.B. Original rapper Adam Briggs told the committee he was concerned an AI data mining exception would undermine First Nations intellectual property.

“Keepers of stories, who can tell the stories — and when,” he said.

“What kind of parameters do [tech companies] have in place to make sure that cultural safety is paramount when it comes to Indigenous intellectual property?”

Musician Holly Rankin, who performs under the name Jack River, told the committee that adding a text and data mining exception to Australia’s Copyright Act would be “a fundamental dismantling of our copyright system, legalising the theft of Australian culture at scale”.

“The truth is simple – technology companies are able to pay for licences, they just don’t want to,” Rankin said.

Rights holders and tech companies have elsewhere shown the potential viability of licensing agreements, at least at the bigger end of town.

Universal and Warner Bros are reportedly in talks with AI firms for licensing their massive music catalogues while news outlets like Vox, the Atlantic, and News Corp have signed deals with OpenAI.