AI has certainly been the topic of the year across industries, and in our creative spaces, we’ve seen promising developments toward protecting artists and creators. We’re proud of all that’s been accomplished as we eagerly look ahead to delivering on our collective efforts in 2025.
HAC found momentum this year, particularly against exploitive, unauthorized AI deepfakes and voice clones. The passage of the ELVIS Act made Tennessee first in the nation to explicitly protect artists from this misuse of their voices and likenesses. In Congress, the introduction of the NO FAKES Act and the No AI FRAUD Act were meaningful steps toward this type of protection on the federal level.
Additionally, several HAC member organizations went to the courts, suing major AI developers in defense of their rights. These cases will play out into 2025 and likely beyond, with major implications for all of us.
But there remains work to do. With limited days left in this legislative session, we’ll likely see the NO FAKES Act re-introduced next year. With that, we’ll renew our push to educate and gain support for this crucial legislation.
We’ll also forge ahead with other key AI issues – algorithmic transparency impacts every single member of this coalition. We know these AI giants are stealing everything they can get their hands on to “train” their systems. Those whose content might’ve been pilfered and the users of these AI programs have a right to know what went into them.
Several weeks ago, Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the TRAIN Act, which would give copyright owners the right to subpoena training records of generative AI models. If the AI companies fail to comply, it would be taken as an assumption that the work was used until proven otherwise.
This and the numerous other AI-related bills introduced recently are promising – and as we saw in a recent HAC poll, it’s what people want. 85% of respondents agreed, “we need new guardrails to protect people from being exploited by AI.”
And it’s not just the US that we have our eyes on – AI is clearly an international issue, and we’re seeing developments across the globe that reflect a desire for AI protections. The UK parliament is currently debating how to approach AI guardrails, and artists are speaking out in favor of strong protections.
