AI firms should pay creators for their work, letter says

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 26 Oct, 02:56 · Archive

A letter argues AI companies should pay creators whose work they use before funding other public good initiatives.

Four signatories writing in The Guardian argue that AI companies should prioritise paying creators whose work they use before pledging money for other public good initiatives. They say this should accompany a separate responsibility for device manufacturers.

The signatories propose a Smart Fund that would require manufacturers and importers to make contributions on devices used to copy or store creative work. They estimate this could raise up to £300m a year for UK creators. The letter notes that creators in more than 40 other countries receive private-copying payments, but UK creators do not.

The signatories highlight the financial struggles of creators. Visual artists' median annual earnings are £12,500, down 47% in real terms since 2010. Authors earn a median of £7,000 from writing, down from £11,300 according to surveys published in 2022 and 2018. Audiovisual performers report median annual earnings from performing of £17,500. The letter argues that creators' work attracts people to technology and drives innovation, so they should share in the value it generates.

How it is being reported

• From Carnegie to Claude: AI wealth could reshape philanthropyAnthropic has said it would commit 5% of its shares to a public benefit fund, a stake that could be worth $100 billion when the firm goes public.The Japan Times · 26 Oct, 01:47
• Tech firms should pay the creators whose work they use | LetterIt could raise up to £300m a year, providing UK creators with additional income, write Barbara Hayes , Tayyiba Nasser , Christian Zimmermann and Paul Seheult Anthropic’s proposal ( AI firm Anthropic to commit 5% of shares to fund for ‘public good’, 19 October ) raises an important question: who should benefit from technological progress? Before pledging money for the public good, AI companies such as Anthropic should first pay the creators whose work they use. Device manufacturers have a separate responsibility under the same principle: creators should share in the value their work…The Guardian · 25 Oct, 17:11

In this story: Anthropic · UK · Barbara Hayes · Tayyiba Nasser · Christian Zimmermann · Paul Seheult

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