TruthAmp: Episode 6 - Copyright and AI

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y7M4RUC_HU&t=1s

Craig and Emmanuella discuss the collision between AI technology and copyright protection for artists.

Main Points

Artists' Perspective: Emmanuella explains that copyright payments—not just performances—are crucial income for creators. Successful artists earn substantially from songwriting royalties calculated by venue capacity.

The Core Problem: Tech companies are training AI models on copyrighted material without permission or payment. Once incorporated, this data cannot be removed without rebuilding the entire model. Artists must police unauthorized use themselves rather than companies providing proactive protection.

Legal Landscape: The US has "fair use" doctrine while Australia has stricter rules. Australia's Productivity Commissioner suggests relaxing copyright for AI innovation, but artists strongly oppose this. A middle-ground proposal involves mandatory compensation, though artists would lose control over usage.

Media Framing: Australian media uniquely describes AI's use of copyrighted content as "theft"—language that shapes public perception differently than other countries.

Unexpected Hope: Emmanuella suggests that as AI contributes to content mediocrity, wealthy tech entrepreneurs might eventually invest in preserving high-quality artistry—reviving historical patronage models.

Key Legal Fact: AI-generated content currently isn't copyrightable. Only human-contributed portions of hybrid works can be protected.

Takeaway

The copyright-AI debate has no clear resolution. While governments lag behind, market forces—and potentially tech philanthropists—may ultimately determine how creators are compensated in the AI era.