We publish the open letter of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), The European Association of Publishers of Periodici (Emma), The European Association of newspaper publishers (ENPA) to which the Fieg is associated and the News Media Europe (NME). These bodies collectively represent tens of thousands of journalists and publications of newspapers and magazines throughout Europe. As the main voices in the sector, among other things, the freedom of the press, the sustainability of the media and a diversified and independent journalistic panorama, working to guarantee fair access to digital platforms, promote transparency in the distribution of algorithmic content and push for balanced regulatory paintings that support professional press and journalism in the digital age. Because artificial intelligence cannot take place at the expense of human creativity.
Dear reader,
Human creativity and culture are innovation qualities, including artificial intelligence. Innovation, however, cannot take place at the expense of human creativity and culture. When IA systems exploit the online creative and cultural contents, including editorial ones, to feed their services, they unduly draw profit from human work.
Artificial intelligence places a double social challenge: to protect the fundamental rights of citizens but also the link between the contents created by man and the machines that use them. When the generative IA uses journalistic and editorial materials essentially to produce, without authorization or remuneration, parasitic contents similar to those of the press, at minimum costs and without editorial supervision, all forgive.
We are also witnessing the worrying increase in online disinformation powered by the AI, through the generation of realistic but misleading artificial intelligence content that spread faster than they can be verified.
The current national and EU laws are lacking in solid protections that guarantee that creators and citizens benefit from the developments of the AI with the necessary consideration for transparency, responsibility and due remuneration for the owners of the rights, all crucial aspects.
We firmly believe that everyone should benefit from the AI, including citizens and content suppliers. After all, the cultural and professional contents are the indispensable first material that feeds the AI revolution, without which quality artificial intelligence cannot exist.
The IA can be a positive force, the specific risks are contrasted. We urge the new European Commission to act now to support the prosperity and sustainability of European media, culture and information and thus the democratic health of our societies.
