On March 31, 2023, forty-two German organizations made up of authors, performers, photographers, designers, journalists and illustrators released a joint letter to the European Union. This letter expressed their concerns about the potential negative effects of the generative AI technology ChatGPT on their copyright. The authors demanded that the European Commission create new AI rules and regulations to address the legal implications of ChatGPT, specifically in regards to the threats it poses to copyright infringement.
The organizations argued that generative AI such as ChatGPT can mimic human behavior and create texts and images based on ‘prompts.’ This could lead to the unauthorised usage, processing and dissemination of protected material, something that would need to be addressed urgently. They proposed that the future AI regulations should focus particularly on the providers of AI foundation models, holding them responsible for any content created and disseminated through AI systems and liable for any infringement of personal rights or copyright.
The organizations mentioned that potential providers of generative AI foundation models can include Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta Platforms, and that regulations should be strict enough that these companies cannot offer platform services for the distribution of digital content.
The effects of AI technology on copyright have been a pertinent issue for authors, performers and other creative professionals. This move by the German authors and performers highlights their determination to ensure that generative AI comes with rules and regulations to protect their copyrights and digital work.
