The future of copyright and human creativity in the age of AI will be examined during a major conference in Dublin next month.
The Copyright and Human Creativity in the Age of AI event aims to determine the best way of ensuring that human creativity remains valued and protected amid the rapid technological changes the world is experiencing. The conference, which is taking place at the Irish Film Institute on 14 October, and is jointly hosted by MLI member NewsBrands Ireland and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA), forms part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is also supporting the gathering in which European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen is set to deliver a keynote address. The event also brings together policymakers, legal experts, rights holders, creators, and representatives from the media and creative industries to address key questions in the AI debate. These include understanding how to build trust around the use of AI, developing a fair and robust market for licensing copyrighted works, and ensuring that copyright protections can be enforced effectively. Panels will examine the implications of AI for affected sectors and consider how to support innovation while properly recognising and rewarding creative work.
A range of government ministers, TDs, and industry experts will join Virkkunen, who holds the European Commission portfolio for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, at the conference. These include Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke TD, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, AI and Digital Transformation Niamh Smyth TD, and Professor Eleonora Rosati, one of Europe’s leading experts on copyright and intellectual property law. Daniel McConnell, editor of the Business Post, will host the conference.
Ahead of the event, Ann Marie Lenihan, CEO of NewsBrands Ireland, maintained AI’s potential must not come at the expense of those who produce original content. “Strong intellectual property rights are not a barrier to innovation; they are the foundation on which sustainable innovation depends,” she added. Lenihan went on to say the conference would bring together leading European voices to shape a copyright framework that rewards creators and rights holders while supporting innovation.
David Kitching, Head of Public Affairs and Communications at IRMA, said the event was an opportunity to press European policymakers on transparency and accountability in AI. “Without the necessary guardrails, music and other creative output can be taken without authorisation or payment, diverting money away from rights holders,” he said. As both a major technology hub and a society with a strong cultural identity, Kitching argued Ireland “can show real leadership in promoting copyright laws that maintain a fair and equitable system that sustains our creative sectors”.
Further details on the conference can be obtained here.
