{"id":25331,"date":"2024-10-03T10:08:42","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T08:08:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniglobalunion.org\/news\/shaping-generative-ai-in-the-creative-and-cultural-sector\/"},"modified":"2024-10-16T08:39:03","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T06:39:03","slug":"shaping-generative-ai-in-the-creative-and-cultural-sector","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/uniglobalunion.org\/news\/shaping-generative-ai-in-the-creative-and-cultural-sector\/","title":{"rendered":"How creative and cultural workers shape Generative AI"},"content":{"rendered":"

With AI technologies becoming increasingly integrated into work processes, from generating content to automating repetitive tasks, the conversation has shifted toward finding a balance between innovation and workers\u2019 rights. On 2 October 2024, at a FES-UNI Europa conference<\/a> on Artificial Intelligence, representatives from UNI, including leaders<\/a> from affiliate Writers\u2019 Guild of America, delivered a powerful message: whether AI enhances our work or strips it of its creative essence depends on workers\u2019 ability to shape the terms of technology use through collective bargaining.<\/p>\r\n

Opening the conference, Knut Dethlefsen, the new head of the FES Competence Centre on the Future of Work, posed the central question: \u201cHow can the technological progress of AI benefit those that do creative work \u2013 and allow for innovation without stifling freedom?\u201d This sentiment reflects a broader anxiety about AI\u2019s transformative power. While technological advances promise greater efficiency, there is growing concern that without proper safeguards, they could erode the rights of workers, particularly in cultural and creative industries.<\/p>\r\n

Innovation without exploitation<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

The European Union is currently navigating this delicate balance through legislative frameworks like the AI Act, designed to regulate the use of AI technologies. Member of European Parliament Brando Benifei, one of the key speakers at the conference, expressed both optimism and caution about the future of AI in Europe. \u201cIf you look at the progress made by generative AI in the last two years, it\u2019s incredible,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we want to create good conditions for creative workers without obstructing innovation.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Benifei emphasised that the stakes are high, particularly in terms of how AI might be used to exploit the work of creatives. He noted that member states have been lobbied heavily to water down the AI Act, and that the economic interest lies in using creative content to train AI systems. \u201cThere are already lobbying activities to make sure regulation in Europe of AI fails,\u201d Benifei warned. \u201cWe need to ensure that the creative worker can be protected from harsh exploitation.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Augmentation or displacement<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

The debate over AI\u2019s impact is particularly intense in cultural and creative industries, which have been described as \u201cground zero\u201d for the changes AI is bringing to the workplace. Daniel M\u00fcgge, a professor of political arithmetic, highlighted the shift in the conversation about AI.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cToday, we are no longer having a discussion about AI creating a jobless society through automation,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is much more about the quality of work, the satisfaction that workers get from their work, the security workers feel.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

M\u00fcgge\u2019s remarks resonate with many creatives who are grappling with how AI will affect their livelihoods. AI offers significant opportunities to offload repetitive tasks, allowing workers to focus on more creative endeavors. Johannes Studinger, head of UNI\u2019s Media, Entertainment & Arts sector, underlined that AI should be used to augment human activity, not displace it.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cCreation is a human activity,\u201d he stated. \u201cIt is not acceptable that AI displaces the products of authors and creatives.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

The potential for AI to streamline work processes and improve work-life balance is a key selling point for advocates. Studinger noted that unions are already negotiating how AI can be used to better plan productions, saving time and giving workers more flexibility. However, this optimism is tempered by fears of job degradation, loss of creative control, and exploitation of intellectual property.<\/p>\r\n

Struggles and strikes<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

The growing concerns about AI\u2019s potential misuse have already led to significant labour actions, most notably the 148-day strike by US writers organised in the Writers Guild of America (WGA). The WGA strike, which lasted 148 days, brought solidarity from across the labour movement, with UNI organising support in Europe and beyond as well as helping coordinate a global day of action. Ellen Stutzman, the former chief negotiator for the WGA and now Executive Director of WGA-West, shared<\/a> insights from the recent strike, which demonstrated the power of collective action. \u201cWhen we went into negotiations with producers, they were stone-walling,\u201d Stutzman recounted. \u201cIt was only until the strike that they came back to the negotiating table.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

A key issue in the strike was the role of AI in content creation. Stutzman emphasised that the WGA succeeded in defining AI\u2019s role as research, not writing. \u201cAI isn\u2019t writing,\u201d she said, underscoring the need for transparency and compensation when AI uses the work of human creatives to train its algorithms. \u201cThere needs to be affirmative consent and transparency,\u201d she added.<\/p>\r\n

Stutzman\u2019s experience underscores a broader concern within the creative industries: AI\u2019s ability to mine past creations without proper compensation or consent. Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Young, executive director of the Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Belgium, called this practice \u201cthe big steal,\u201d referring to the dual exploitation of past and present human creativity.<\/p>\r\n

Legislative and policy responses<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

As AI continues to evolve, legislators and policymakers are grappling with how to protect creative workers. Paul Keller, director of policy at Open Future, pointed out that current legislation, such as the Copyright Directive and the AI Act, lacks provisions for remuneration for creative workers whose content is used to train AI systems. Alexandra Geese, a Member of the European Parliament, echoed this concern, emphasising the need for Europe to build its own technological capacities to maintain sovereignty over its digital infrastructure. \u201cA dysfunctional market endangers cultural diversity \u2013 a problem AI intensifies,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\r\n

Benifei and other policymakers see the AI Act as a critical tool for ensuring that AI serves the interests of workers, not just corporations. However, they face significant challenges from lobbying efforts and the immense economic interests at play. \u201cThe pressure is very high,\u201d Benifei admitted, noting that prime ministers across Europe have been lobbied to dilute the AI Act.<\/p>\r\n

Oliver Roethig, UNI Europa Regional Secretary, echoed the sentiment that AI is not a new challenge but part of a continuous process of technological evolution. \u201cTrade unions and workers are not against the future and change \u2013 we have to shape it,\u201d Roethig said. He emphasised that the focus must be on how the productivity gains from AI are distributed between creative workers, producers, and investors. \u201cWe are talking about managing transformation,\u201d he added, calling for frameworks that empower workers through collective bargaining. Roethig pointed to examples from the US, like the WGA\u2019s negotiations, as models feeding into how European unions are addressing AI in their bargaining efforts. By drawing on these collective strategies, unions can play a crucial role in ensuring that AI-driven productivity enhances workers\u2019 rights rather than eroding them.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With AI technologies becoming increasingly integrated into work processes, from generating content to automating repetitive tasks, the conversation has shifted toward finding a balance between innovation and workers\u2019 rights. On 2 October 2024, at a FES-UNI Europa conference on Artificial Intelligence, representatives from UNI, including leaders from affiliate Writers\u2019 Guild of America, delivered a powerful<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":25332,"template":"","categories":[41],"global-issues":[35],"sectors":[16],"cross-sector-groups":[],"workers-rights":[],"regions":[84],"topics":[134],"class_list":["post-25331","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","global-issues-new-world-of-work","sectors-media-entertainment","regions-uni-europa","topics-ai"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow creative and cultural workers shape Generative AI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uniglobalunion.org\/news\/shaping-generative-ai-in-the-creative-and-cultural-sector\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How creative and cultural workers shape Generative AI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With AI technologies becoming increasingly integrated into work processes, from generating content to automating repetitive tasks, the conversation has shifted toward finding a balance between innovation and workers\u2019 rights. 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