Stop AI Theft
Australians are worried about the rise of Artificial Intelligence, and they have every right to be.
AI has turbocharged the proliferation of scams, deepfakes, disinformation and harmful content, while the big AI developers like Amazon and Meta are doing nothing to stop it.
That’s why the Australian Media Literacy Alliance found that 74% of Australians believe strong laws are needed to manage the risks of AI.
At the same time, the work of our creative and media workforce is being stolen to train AI – which is then being used to undercut and replace them. This theft is threatening the existence of Australian arts, media, and culture.
A survey of our members in the creative and media industries found that 65% are worried that their job will be replaced by AI.
Who will tell Australian stories if there are no artists, actors, journalists, or writers? Australians need to be able to trust that the news they read, the film and television they watch, and the music they listen to has been produced by artists and journalists whose work has not been compromised by AI.
Actors, musicians, journalists and other creative and media workers are campaigning for strong laws to regulate AI that protects people from being harmed by this technology, stops the theft of their work and empowers people to decide how AI will be used in their homes and in their work.
Our members recently fronted a Senate inquiry into AI to warn the parliament that the work of Australian creatives and journalists is being systematically stolen to train AI, without their knowledge, consent, or compensation. We also raised the importance of protecting Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property from being stolen and ripped off by AI.
The federal government have now announced plans for legislate guardrails against high-risk threats of AI, but they must act urgently if we are to have any real chance of protecting our unique arts and culture from being stolen by AI.
Find out more:
• MEAA submission to the Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence →
• Media release: Media, creative and arts workers demand action from government →
SAG-AFTRA video games performers are currently on strike to win AI protections. Pledge your support here →
