Weakening AI copyright law will spell ‘disaster for creativity’, global music body warns Albanese

The head of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Victoria Oakley, has warned that allowing AI companies access to online content would be a "huge mistake" and damage Australia's cultural reputation. Oakley, CEO of IFPI, criticized the potential weakening of copyright protections for AI companies as "ridiculous and dangerous" and expressed concern that Australia could become the "weakest link" in a situation where other nations have rejected similar demands.

She argued that Australia, a country with a "fantastic cultural power," should not make a decision that could "throw away their own culture and creativity." Oakley emphasized that the solution was not to grant AI companies permission to train on Australian music and culture, but rather to establish a "safe harbour" that would allow rights holders to license their work to tech platforms.

She pointed out that music labels have already struck licensing deals with smaller AI companies worldwide, and these models should be replicated on a larger scale. Oakley stressed that creative industries were worried about the potential for copyright relaxation to have a "contagion" effect, spreading to other countries. She cautioned that allowing AI companies to train on Australian material without proper licensing could have serious legal and reputational consequences for Australia in the global creative world.