Publishing Ireland fully supports adoption of the European Artificial Intelligence Act
Publishing Ireland fully supports the adoption of the Artificial Intelligence Act, a proposed EU regulation which would introduce a common regulatory and legal framework for AI.
A coalition of over 200 organisations across Europe’s creative and cultural sectors, which includes the Federation of European Publishers and various presses, have joined together to urge EU member states to approve the Act.
The coalition said in a statement released on 1st February that “the AI Act is a vital piece of legislation that will regulate the role of AI in Europe and help set a global standard for how we expect AI systems to operate. Europe has a unique opportunity to show global leadership in the AI framework, for the benefit of EU citizens, creators, rights holders, industry, and the wider economy.”
President of Publishing Ireland, Ivan O’Brien said that Publishing Ireland wholeheartedly supports the adoption of The AI Act.
“The world of books is one of creativity, imagination and ingenuity. Making books is time-consuming and hard, but they are vital for a vibrant society. The rapid rise of artificial intelligence, with machine learning engines fed with vast amounts of copyrighted material without permission, acknowledgement or payment, poses a substantial threat to the livelihoods of the whole creative sector.
“While AI has some benefits, it poses enormous threats, particularly in its current unregulated form. The European AI Act is a vital first step in regulating some key aspects of these technologies, in particular the transparency obligations.”
The coalition concluded their statement saying that “the introduction of such obligations with respect to generative AI is not only the right thing to do but would position the EU to help set a global standard in AI regulation. It would also be an essential enabler for the creation of value in AI and a platform for future development and innovation in the EU.”