What does AI mean for the future of journalism and media viability? In its latest brief, UNESCO explored the key challenges of AI  for journalism and the industry and included a series of recommendations for an ethical AI. We talked to the author, Dr. Anya Schiffrin, director of the Technology, Media, and Communications specialisation at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and a senior lecturer. For Schiffrin, the media must collectively defend their interests in order to survive in the age of AI. What is the impact of AI on media business models? Anya Schiffrin: The Large…

The AI Act came into force on 1 August 2024. The EFJ participated to the plenary dedicated to drafting the Code of Practice on Generative AI for the EU AI Office, alongside nearly 1,000 other organisations and individuals. The plenary will set guidelines for the responsible use of Generative AI within the EU’s AI regulatory framework. EFJ members have also discussed in expert groups the impact of generative AI and have raised concerns on controlling and regulating the use of AI in newsrooms. The EFJ Authors’ Rights Expert Group (AREG) drafted recommendations on the right of identification and personality, fair…

This text was originally published on the presscouncils.eu website, part of the European “Media Councils in the Digital Age” project. With the rapid transformation of Generative AI, newsrooms face new challenges and benchmarks when it comes to adhering to deontological standards. While there is no single ethical standard on the implementation of AI in journalism, various media councils have established guidelines, or even added chapters on it in their ethical codes. The use of AI needs to be regulated accordingly, so as to empower journalists to be quicker, more efficient and more innovative, rather than substituting for their absence. That’s…

On 23 July 2024, a coalition of 13 international and European organisations representing journalists, creators, authors, artists, performers and creative workers, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), sent a letter to newly elected Members of the European Parliament on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the European creative community. Find the letter below. Brussels, 23 July 2024 Dear Member of the European Parliament, We are writing to you on behalf of a coalition of organisations representing the collective voice of hundreds of thousands of writers, translators, performers, composers, songwriters, screen directors, screenwriters, visual artists, journalists, and other creative workers.…

As the Council of the EU is expected to vote on the AI Act on 2 February 2024, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) urges the EU Member States to reach a long-awaited political agreement on this important text for journalism. The media reported that Germany and France were still blocking several provisions just a few days before the vote, suggesting that negotiations are not yet completely concluded. They fear that this regulation will subject their startups to increased scrutiny related to foundation models. In Germany, the coalition government could withhold its backing for the law. With an internal consultation…

For an innovation- and creator-friendly AI Act: Europe’s creative community urges EU policymakers to put transparency back at the heart of the EU AI Act We represent the collective voice of hundreds of thousands of writers, translators, performers, composers, songwriters, screen directors, screenwriters, visual artists, journalists, and other creative workers whose human artistry lies at the core of the creativity that our societies cherish and enjoy on a daily basis. As the AI Act is entering into the final round of negotiations, we urge all policy makers to prioritise maximum transparency on training data and artificially generated content to provide…