(Ottawa) Canadian actors, directors and musicians are sounding the alarm on artificial intelligence (AI), saying it threatens their livelihoods and reputations.
Groups representing people who work in television, film and music are calling on the federal government to protect their industries in its AI legislation.
Actors’ union ACTRA says rampant use of AI could lead to the misuse of people’s names and images in artificially designed videos, or even the complete replacement of actors.
“In the entertainment business, our reputation, including our name, image and likeness, is all we have. We are the brand,” national president Eleanor Noble told the House of Commons industry committee on Monday.
The committee is studying the government’s proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Bill, billed as a regulatory framework to advance development while protecting individuals and communities from negative impacts.
“The difference between getting a job one day and not getting one the next can come down to the smallest things,” said Ms.me Noble, including everyone’s reputation. »
Requests to label clearly
Last year, the impact of AI was at the heart of two major actor and screenwriter strikes in the United States.
The Directors Guild of Canada says generative AI, like “ChatGPT,” reproduces large amounts of work without permission or compensation, calling it an existential threat.
It is often “very difficult for rights holders to know when their works have been used without their consent to train AI models,” insisted Dave Forget, national director of the Guild.
Generative AI is trained with large amounts of existing material, such as written text, images and videos, which the system can then use to create its own work.
For example, a system powered by a series of books like Game Of Thronesby George RR Martin, may then be invited to create their own version to complete the series “in the author’s style”.
It remains unclear how copyright law applies to AI in Canada. The Liberal government recently held a consultation on copyright and generative AI, while a series of high-profile lawsuits on the issue have been filed in the United States.
Music Canada says AI-generated content should be labeled as such so people can tell the difference. “Today we find ourselves in worrying territory with AI,” said CEO Patrick Rogers, who cited the example of a viral artificial image of Pope Francis wearing a heavy winter coat Balenciaga.
“Once you learn what to look for, you understand that the image of the Pope in the white down jacket is not a real photo of the Pope. But this technology […] improves every day. »
There Artificial Intelligence and Data Actpart of Bill C-27, would target what are called “high-impact” AI systems.
The bill was first introduced before the rise of generative AI systems. The Liberals now plan to include rules for the technology, including requiring companies to take steps to label content, with “watermarks.”