Creators from around the world have signed a declaration calling for human creativity to be protected from the threats posed by artificial intelligence.

The declaration – dubbed the ‘Paris Commitment’ – was signed at the 100^th anniversary meeting of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), an organisation dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights and interests of creators worldwide. The timing is also notable as it coincides with the centenary of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, a landmark moment in the development of intellectual property rights.

The Paris Commitment calls for human creativity to be “protected, respected, and sustained” from artificial intelligence systems that risk undermining its value, outlining the following four principles:

1. Creativity is a fundamental human endeavour and must be actively protected.

2. Innovation must strengthen – not weaken – creative value. Technological progress must respect creators’ rights through transparency, licensing and fair remuneration. AI should support human creativity, not exploit it.

3. Collective management is essential to a fair and sustainable creative ecosystem. Strong collaboration among creators, collective management organisations, cultural institutions and industry partners is vital to ensuring creators can thrive and continue contributing to society and culture.

4. Governments and decision-makers must act to safeguard the future of creativity. Policy and regulation must evolve to uphold creators’ rights, ensure accountability towards rightsholders, and safeguard the diversity and integrity of cultural expressions.

CISAC is one of many organisations advocating for greater protection of the creative industries as artificial intelligence continues to grow. In addition to the Paris Commitment, it also recently published its Annual Report, offering a sweeping account of efforts made across various jurisdictions to introduce legislation or regulation to reform copyright and protect creatives, noting with approval the UK Government’s decision to abandon its preferred approach of a broad text and data mining exception.

In the report’s foreword, the CISAC President and ABBA Co-Founder, Björn Ulvaeus, sets out the need for urgent action, arguing that “artificial intelligence is moving faster than the rules that protect creators…Governments and decision-makers must act to safeguard the future of creativity. Policy and regulation must evolve to uphold creators’ rights, ensure accountability towards rightsholders, and safeguard the diversity and integrity of cultural expressions”.

To read the Paris Commitment, click here. To read CISAC’s Annual Report, click here.