The establishment of a Copyright and Artificial Intelligence (AI) reference group by the Albanese Government to help prepare for future copyright challenges emerging from AI has been welcomed by creative economy organisations.

Chaired by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, the group will focus on copyright issues, including the material used to train AI models, transparency of inputs and outputs, the use of AI to create imitative works, and whether and when AI-generated works should receive copyright protection.

The reference group will be a standing mechanism for ongoing engagement with stakeholders across a wide range of sectors, including the creative, media and technology sectors, to consider issues in a careful and consultative way.

The reference group will complement other AI-related Government initiatives, including the work being led by the Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic on the safe and responsible use of AI.

Photo © Mojahid Mottakin/Unsplash

While noting that developments in generative AI “have the potential to support a new boon in creativity”, a statement released by an alliance of 22 creative economy organisations (including APRA AMCOS, the Australian Music Centre, ARIA and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers), threw...