The European Commission is preparing new legislation aimed at regulating how AI developers license and use creative content such as books, journalism, music and artwork for model training, as pressure mounts over the use of copyrighted material in generative AI systems, according to Euractiv.
In a consultation published this week, the EU’s executive branch outlined plans for a “targeted legislative initiative” that would complement existing copyright rules and explore different levels of intervention in the AI licensing market. A “consultation” is a formal process where the government asks stakeholders — such as companies, creators, trade groups, academics and the public — for feedback before drafting or proposing a law.
Proposed measures include giving rights holders greater visibility into whether their content is being used to train AI models, supporting licensing agreements through mediation or arbitration, and introducing safeguards to ensure creators are compensated fairly.
EU Tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen said many creators are willing to license their work to AI companies if they receive fair payment. The proposal follows growing lawsuits and backlash across Europe over AI training practices.