Received from: AUE
Congress notes:
i. the success of the campaign against the government’s disgraceful attempt to allow AI companies to use artists’ work to train their models without consent. The campaign by the UK creative trade unions, including Artists’ Union England, meant the government’s proposal was resoundingly defeated
ii. the government’s continued delay in introducing a bill to regulate AI.
iii. unrestricted AI is a threat to democratic governments, through its ability to enable a few powerful individuals to manipulate the media and control information
iv. AI carries inherent biases, consequentially increasing inequalities within societies
v. unregulated AI data centres are a threat to the environment because of their enormous requirements for power and water.
Congress instructs the TUC General Council to:
a. ensure the rights of all workers are protected from AI companies stealing their creative work and actively campaign for the protection of creative workers’ copyright
b. campaign for transparency of production on all products, media and creative works created by AI
c. lobby the government to collect data and information regarding equality implications and in particular the numbers of jobs lost to AI in the public and private sectors, and creative self-employed workers
d. campaign to restrict the development of data centres, to ensure power and water consumption don’t accelerate the climate crisis, putting communities at risk
e. demand the government signs existing international agreements regulating AI development in order to protect workers and communities while encouraging innovation
f. work globally with other unions, campaigning to develop AI that is open, transparent, ethical and safe.
Artists’ Union England