While welcoming the AI Act as a first step to regulating the unfettered use of AI systems, the groups warned that effective implementation is crucial to preserve fundamental rights, safeguard transparency, and enable creators to exercise their rights.
[…]We welcome the adoption of the AIAct regulation, which is a first step in the right direction and the first attempt by a major regulator to harness the unfettered use of AI, including general-purpose AI models. Despite the tech industry’s resistance to future regulation, this technology and its use have long-ranging implications for individuals, society, creators, and cultural diversity. It is of utmost importance to make sure it can develop in a way that respects fundamental principles and as a tool to enhance, not replace, human creativity.
A key issue highlighted is the legal ambiguity around whether the text and data mining exception in EU copyright law can be extended to cover the training of large generative AI models on creators' works. The groups argue this would create an "unacceptable fait accompli" letting tech companies off the hook for exploiting creative works at massive scale without permission or remuneration.
"Extending this exception to generative AI would place creators before an unacceptable and undemocratic 'fait accompli' letting the tech industry off the hook for having used creators' work with generative AI without their permission and in complete opacity," the statement reads.
The organizations, representing hundreds of thousands of writers, musicians, actors, directors and other creatives across Europe, stressed that copyright exceptions must be interpreted restrictively based on legal precedents.
They called for an "ambitious strategy" ensuring creators can give informed consent, receive fair remuneration when their works are used to train AI, and get compensation for AI-generated content derived from their original creations.
As a new EU policy cycle begins, the groups urged comprehensive public debate to clarify legal uncertainties and design a "truly human-centric" framework for generative AI that protects creators' rights and integrity.
Read the statement:
AUTHORS’, PERFORMERS’ AND OTHER CREATIVE WORKERS’ ORGANISATIONS JOINT STATEMENT ON
GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE EU AI ACT 
