© Kyle T. Webster member since 2020
ASCRL issued a statement applauding the commitment to protecting creators’ rights in the discussion draft of Senator Blackburn’s AI legislation, notably the bill’s assertion that the use of creative works for generative AI should be based on authorization. However, our statement noted that the bill does not provide a practical, scalable pathway to providing lawful AI training.
In our statement, we wrote, “While the bill rightly establishes that authorization is required, it does not yet provide the mechanisms needed to make that authorization workable in practice. Without efficient licensing solutions, including voluntary collective licensing, there is a real risk that the framework will prove difficult to operationalize—for both creators seeking compensation and AI developers seeking access to high-quality data.”
Market-based, voluntary collective licensing, paired with strong legal enforcement mechanisms as provided for by the bill, provides a pragmatic path forward which would foster innovation and competition while compensating creators fairly. ASCRL looks forward to working with Senator Blackburn and other stakeholders to advance such a balanced, innovative, and market-driven approach.
The discussion draft of the bill can be read here.
