Prominent artists are fighting law changes that would allow artificial intelligence to scrape data from music, likening it to legally stealing from Australian culture.
The Productivity Commission proposed a text and data mining exception for the Copyright Act as a possible reform to “keep pace” with AI in a report released in September.
This would allow AI models such as ChatGPT to train on Australian media, including websites, books and music without seeking permission from the copyright holder.
Several artists, including songwriter Holly Rankin, who performs under the moniker Jack River, voiced their concerns at a Senate inquiry into the renewal of the government’s National Cultural Policy – a five-year plan to revive Australia’s arts and culture sectors.
Rankin said the proposal “would be a fundamental dismantling of our copyright system, legalising the theft of Australian culture at scale”.
“The creative industries contribute $63.7 billion to the Australian economy and employ over half a million people,” she said.
“Some of the largest companies in the world are asking for handouts from the Australian government. They want access to Australian culture and creativity for free.
“The truth is simple: technology companies are able to pay licences, they just don’t want to.”
Asked by Senator David Pocock whether AI could create “fake” tracks by existing artists, Yorta Yorta rapper Adam Briggs strongly doubted it could imitate the “human quality” of art that audiences expect.
“I don’t think at the moment AI understands what a lounge room in Shepparton, Victoria smells like,” Briggs said.
“It’s the equivalent of seeing a boomerang in an airport that’s been mass produced. It lacks authenticity and that’s why you don’t pick it up.
“The things we make are steeped in authenticity … you can’t replicate that.”
Art vs Science vocalist Dan McNamee said artists would be robbed “of any agency over how their work is used and exploited” if the exception was enacted
Senator Sarah Henderson slammed the commission’s proposal and said it was extraordinary it “doesn’t seem to have taken any regard by artists in this country”.
“I am deeply concerned that this government has not been sort of screaming from the rooftops that we will not allow your property to be stolen,” she said.
Senator Henderson said the exception would “devastate” artists as it would allow songs to be mimicked with no attribution or royalties paid to them.
Grammy award-winning producer Francois Tetaz told the inquiry he had raised concerns about the impacts of AI on art with Arts Minister Tony Burke.
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