On Wednesday, 42 German organizations and trade unions representing over 140,000 authors and artists pushed the EU to strengthen draft artificial intelligence legislation to protect their copyright against ChatGPT. In addition, Verdi, DGB, and groups for photographers, designers, journalists, and illustrators wrote to the European Commission, European Council, and EU parliamentarians to express their concerns.
The letter highlighted concerns about generative AI like ChatGPT, which can mimic people and create text and graphics from cues.
“The unauthorised usage of protected training material, its non-transparent processing, and the foreseeable substitution of the sources by the output of generative AI raise fundamental questions of accountability, liability, and remuneration, which need to be addressed before irreversible harm occurs,” the letter seen by Reuters said.
“Generative AI needs to be at the centre of any meaningful AI market regulation,” it stated.
Last year, the European Commission proposed AI guidelines. EU lawmakers and member states will finalize the rules in the following months.
The groups recommended strengthening generative AI regulations across the product cycle, notably for foundation model suppliers. They also want technology companies to be accountable for all AI-generated and distributed content, including infringing personal rights and copyrights, disinformation, and discrimination.
The letter claimed foundation model providers like Microsoft (MSFT.O), Alphabet (GOOGL.O), Google, Amazon (AMZN.O), and Meta Platforms (META.O) should not run central platform services to distribute digital content.