Creatives sound alarm on copyright as Pocock calls $50bn datacentre proposal ‘ultimate dirty deal’

Summary

Proposal has been put to cabinet to allow AI companies to mine content, in exchange for investment and $350m fund to compensate artists, sources say Creatives are demanding fresh assurances from the Albanese government that it won’t water down copyright laws under a potential deal with tech giants to attract more than $50bn worth of datacentre investment in exchange for a $350m-a-year fund for artists. Guardian Australia has been told an industry proposal has been presented to cabinet that would grant AI companies special exemptions to mine creative content. In exchange, the companies would bankroll the artists’ fund and commit more than $50bn worth of investment in datacentres. The independent senator David Pocock said the proposal was the “ultimate dirty deal” as he demanded the government categorically rule it out. The government insisted it had no plans to weaken copyright protections. The potential adoption of a text and data mining exemption would represent a major reversal from the federal government, which last year ruled it out after criticism from artists, authors and media groups. Amid fears the government could capitulate to big tech, a delegation of creatives staged a press conference in parliament house on Wednesday to urge the government to hold the line. “The idea that copyright law should be watered down or chiselled away at to provide a freebie or a handout to gigantic multinational, multi-billion dollar companies to train their AI models makes absolutely no sense to me,” said Paul Dempsey, the lead of singer of Something for Kate. The author Anna Funder described herself as a “victim of crime”, citing the ease with which big technology had made money from her books. “My books that I’ve lived off for 30 years, have all been hoovered up in many editions, in many countries, in many languages by big tech, broken down for parts and used for them to make money,” she said. Pocock last week revealed he had been provided with information showing Anthony Albanese was preparing to announce a plan on or about 15 July, which may offer expedited approvals and investment for new datacentres. Albanese confirmed last week he would deliver a major speech in July about the government’s approach on AI.