SPA calls for ‘consent, compensation, transparency’ in Australia’s approach to AI

Matthew Deaner at the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence

Industry body Screen Producers Australia (SPA) has called for the country to ensure its approach to artificial intelligence and copyright allows producers “meaningful control” over their IP and fairly compensates them when their work is used by AI systems.

SPA CEO Matthew Deaner told the Australian parliament’s Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence that producers have a real stake in the development of AI policy, with IP sitting at the heart of the production business.

From developing content through to financing, producing and licensing, producers operate within a complex network of copyright, commercial rights and creative partnerships, Deaner said.

AI and copyright policy should be underpinned by three key principles: meaningful consent, reasonable compensation and transparency, he added.

“Artificial intelligence presents significant opportunities for Australia’s screen industry, but innovation cannot come at the expense of the businesses and people whose work gives these systems value,” said Deaner.

“Screen producers invest in, create and commercialise IP. They need to know when and how that work is being used by AI systems and retain meaningful control over that use.

“Where copyrighted material is used for AI training, retrieval or other purposes, rights holders should have the ability to provide meaningful consent and receive reasonable compensation.

“Transparency is fundamental. Without sufficient information about how professionally produced content is ingested, weighted and used by AI models, it is extremely difficult for rights holders to assess the value of their work or effectively exercise their rights.”

Deaner also stressed that Australia’s policy framework must recognise the diversity of the production sector. Larger businesses and rights holders must be able to negotiate commercial arrangements directly, while smaller producers and individual creatives need ways to enforce their rights and receive compensation.

“The screen industry has always embraced technological change, and AI has the potential to create new opportunities for Australian screen businesses,” Deaner said.

“The challenge is to establish policy settings that allow innovation to flourish while providing certainty, transparency and control for the people and businesses creating Australian intellectual property.”

This week, OpenAI chief strategy officer Jason Kwon faced a parliamentary hearing into AI after one of the tech giant’s rogue AI agents breached Australian government websites in June.

Kwon said the breach “should not have happened” and the company’s actions were “not good enough.”