How do we strike a balance between the possibilities offered by artificial intelligence and protecting the cultural and creative sector (CCS) from this revolution? This was the topic of the policy debate held by the European culture ministers on the morning of Tuesday 14 May in Brussels.
The ministers, meeting in Council under the presidency of Jan Jambon, the Flemish Minister-President for culture, digitalisation, foreign affairs and infrastructure, benefited from the expertise of Marnix Verduyn.
The comic book artist and University of Louvain professor shared his views on what he sees as a “historic turning point” equal to an “industrial revolution”, and, in this way, representing a source of inspiration. Faced with facts that he analyses in a mathematical way, the cartoonist reminded the European ministers that AI only responds to human aims. And, in his view, its potential depends on how artificial intelligence is used.
Cross-sector training and collaboration
Mr Verduyn called for the development of tools and increased collaboration between CCS players and AI developers, in particular to improve their training on these new uses. These recommendations were also raised by several Member States, such as Bulgaria and Finland.
Marnix Verduyn also warned against a possible monopoly by the United States and China, and urged the European Union to develop its own tools. “European CCSs and research centres are among the best in the world, and we need to make the most of this”, he said.
Following these introductory remarks, several ministers acknowledged the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence. Germany’s culture minister, Claudia Roth, described it as “an opportunity” to “improve data collections, library and museum inventories, and crisis prevention”.
While several ministers agreed, the idea of applying an “intelligent strategy” to these possibilities, in order to both exploit all its facets and manage the associated risks, was quickly raised, including by Ms Roth.
Protection of works and copyright
The German minister raised the issue of protecting works, so that the authors remain the owners. She also asked: “How can we put in place an effective refinancing system that does not affect copyright?”
Her Spanish counterpart, Ernest Urtasun, called for further discussions with sector representatives, who are very concerned about this issue. For Spain, it is therefore necessary to find copyright compensation mechanisms and ensure that intellectual property rights are respected.
“Human beings must remain at the helm of the creative process”, stressed Italian minister Gennaro Sangiuliano, who also spoke about Italian legislation, proposed on 23 April, against the risks of falsification.
Risks for the rule of law and democracy
The issues of collecting personal data, protecting the freedom of individuals and their exposure to “deep fakes” were another area of concern. The Swedish minister, Parisa Liljestrand, who expressed her “ concerns” about this issue, outlined a 10-year strategy developed by the Scandinavian government for CCSs, which includes measures to raise public awareness. Sweden also asked the next Presidencies to map out the various developments and increase the number of exchanges of views.
Funding
The question of funding was discussed at length. Poland reiterated Europe’s interest in supporting cultural projects that make use of new processes. The Czech minister, Martin Baxa, set out the measures taken in his country to support the cultural and creative industry and help sectors that use AI. He called for continued support from Creative Europe. However, as Jan Jambon pointed out, these sectors generally have limited budgets. “It is therefore necessary to find funding through other channels. (...) I think this is something that will be discussed in more detail at the Council”, he declared at the end of the morning.
The meeting also saw the European culture ministers approve conclusions on how to strengthen CCSs through data-driven audience development. Finally, conclusions encouraging media and digital literacy among influencers, particularly minors, and the exchange of best practice to support them, were adopted. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)