96% of Spanish writers and translators require “express” authorization to use their works in the development of AI

He 96 percent of Spanish writers and translators consider The “express” authorization of the author is essential for the training of Artificial Intelligence models according to a survey of the main associations of writers and translators in Spain.

The entities, according to the Collegiate Association of Writers of Spain (ACE), have asked 9,000 writers and translators, with the aim of know the perception of professionals in the author sector about the use of their works to train generative artificial intelligence models (IAG). The associations that have promoted this survey are the Collegiate Association of Writers of Spain (ACE), the Association of Writers in the Catalan Language (AELC), the Collegiate Association of Writers of Catalonia (ACEC), the Association of Writers in the Galician Language (AELG), the Association of Scientific-Technical and Academic Authors (ACTA).

This consultation arises following the announcement by the Government of Spain to develop an IAG model in Spanish and the rest of the official languages, which would use, among others, books and other types of editorial works by these authors.

The survey results show unanimous support for the defense of the moral and economic rights of authorsas well as the demand for respect and compliance with the Intellectual Property Law.

Writers and translators refuse to authorize the use of their works for training artificial intelligence models, even in exchange for any type of remuneration. Professionals consider that the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the creative process undermines the value of literary work and points out the lack of transparency in the developments of this technology.

In the case of accepting a remuneration model, two out of three authors consider payment per word more appropriate than per book and only five percent would consider a price of ten euros of remuneration per work to be reasonable. Furthermore, the entities promoting the survey support that the use of editorial works for the development of generative artificial intelligence (AGI) and its future applications must be based on the ‘ART’ principle (Authorization, Remuneration and Transparency), coined by the Council European Writers.

Likewise, they consider that in Spain the copyright of the publishing sector has been “constantly forgotten” by the Public Administrations. “The situation of the rights of the groups in the sector, whether writers, translators or editors, is unsustainable and seriously impacts the health of our democratic system, harms citizens and, as is inevitable , slows down the country’s economic growth,” they say.