July 20, 2023 

Open Letter to AI Developers

Dear Member,

The Writers’ Union of Canada has been studying and discussing the question of artificial intelligence as related to creative professions for many years. Concerns that scanned books would be used for unlicensed “machine learning” were included in submissions made during the Google Books court action over a decade ago.

With the rise of Large Language Models and Generative AI, the issue of permission for use of creative work in the training of artificial intelligence is now very much in the media’s eye. The Union is fielding many media and industry queries on the subject, tracking two high-profile class actions in the United States aimed at securing permission and compensation for authors, and discussing strategic next steps with our international colleagues.

Claims that AI training has accessed online “shadow libraries” — a.k.a. book piracy sites — to gather their huge datasets are particularly worrying. Regulators must not allow a new technology to legitimize illegal activity in this way.

We are aware there is a spectrum of opinion about the usefulness of AI in creative work. Our concerns, and those of our global colleagues are summed up well by the US Authors Guild (AG) in an open letter they have addressed to AI developers:

• Permission for the use of copyrighted material in generative AI programs must be sought and obtained. 
• Fair compensation must be paid for both past and ongoing use of creative works in generative AI programs. 
• Fair compensation must be paid for the use of creative works in AI output. 

TWUC is grateful to the Authors Guild for their leadership on this issue. As AI development is done largely in the United States, regulation of that space must begin there. We encourage all members to read more deeply into this issue at the Authors Guild site, and (if they wish) to sign the AG’s open letter here (click on the image below):