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I don't want a US tech bro as a patron - which is why artists must defend our copyright in the age of AI | Anna Funder
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- DeepHorus
Australian author Anna Funder recently led a group of creatives to Canberra to defend copyright against big tech companies seeking to exploit their work for artificial intelligence without compensation. The delegation included writers, musicians, artists, and filmmakers who rely on selling their creative works for a living. Funder, author of 'All That I Am,' argues that copyright is fundamental property law, akin to Torrens Title for real estate, and without it, no one would create. Yet, she says, all her books have been ingested into AI programs without consent or payment.
Big tech companies like Google, Meta, and Anthropic are lobbying governments worldwide to weaken copyright, framing it as a 'text and data mining exemption.' In Australia, they have proposed compulsory acquisition of copyrighted works, offering a government-administered fund instead of direct licensing. Funder rejected this, stating it would transform creators from independent property owners into applicants for statutory handouts. She emphasized that negotiating consent is simple and that tech companies know where rights holders are, having previously mined personal data.
Legal battles in the US highlight the stakes. In the Bartz v Anthropic case, a US$1.5 billion settlement was awarded to authors, but Funder will receive only US$3,000 for one stolen edition of her work. She called legal action insufficient, noting that big tech's balance sheets benefit from not paying suppliers. The Australian government last year rejected a similar attempt to exempt AI training from copyright, but tech firms are now secretly proposing a fund to bypass individual negotiations.
Funder and her fellow creatives want direct negotiation with publishers, not government intervention. They argue that big tech's claim of difficulty finding rights holders is false and ironic. The outcome will determine whether artists retain control over their intellectual property or become dependent on tech-funded schemes. As AI advances, the struggle over copyright in Australia reflects a global battle between creators and tech giants seeking free access to creative works.
