Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Reference Group (CAIRG)
On 5 December 2023, the Attorney-General announced the establishment of a Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Reference Group (CAIRG) to better prepare for future copyright challenges emerging from AI. This was an outcome of the Ministerial Roundtables on Copyright held in 2023.
The CAIRG is a standing mechanism to engage with stakeholders across a wide range of sectors on issues at the intersection of AI and copyright.
Read the CAIRG governance framework.
Priority issues
The initial focus of our consultation with the CAIRG will be on the use of copyright material as inputs for AI systems.
Other topics that could be explored by the CAIRG later in 2024 include issues regarding AI outputs, such as:
- potential copyright infringement in AI outputs
- the copyright status of AI outputs.
First meeting of the CAIRG – 22 February 2024
On 22 February 2024, we hosted the first CAIRG meeting via video conference.
The focus of this meeting was on the proposed structure and operational arrangements for the CAIRG, and to consider priority issues that could form part of the group’s work program for 2024. Participants were invited to nominate representatives to be part of the CAIRG’s steering committee. After considering these nominations, we asked 20 CAIRG participants to be part of the steering committee.
Second meeting of the CAIRG – 29 May 2024
On 29 May 2024, we hosted a technical information session organised by the Tech Council of Australia.
The focus of this session was to give CAIRG participants an opportunity to hear from the tech industry about how they use AI. Google gave an overview of how Large Language Models (LLMs) are developed and trained. Canva provided insight into the deployment of AI models in an Australian context.
Third meeting of the CAIRG – 4 September 2024
On 4 September 2024, we hosted the third CAIRG meeting via video conference.
The focus of this meeting was to present the Attorney-General Department's findings from the first information gathering exercise undertaken with the CAIRG on copyright material as AI inputs. The CAIRG's feedback will support the department’s future engagements with the CAIRG and help inform policy advice to government on copyright and AI.
Read the questionnaire and the report on copyright and AI inputs here
Participants
Reference group
The following organisations and individuals have participated in CAIRG meetings or other engagements:
- A New Approach (ANA)
- Adobe
- Amazon Web Services
- Arts Law Centre
- Associate Professor Jani McCutcheon - University of Western Australia Law School
- Associate Professor Rita Matulionyte - Macquarie University
- Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (APRA AMCOS)
- Australian Association of Voice Actors (AAVA)
- Australia New Zealand Screen Association (represented by Motion Picture Association)
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- Australian Copyright Council
- Australian Information Industry Association
- Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)
- Australian Libraries and Archives Copyright Coalition / Australian Digital Alliance
- Australian Library and Information Association
- Australian Museums and Galleries Association
- Australian Publishers Association
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre for Excellence for Automated Decision Making + Society (ADM+S)
- Australian Screen Directors Authorship Collecting Society
- Australian Society of Authors
- Australian Writers’ Guild / Australian Writers’ Guild Authorship Collecting Society
- BSA – The Software Alliance
- Business Council of Australia
- Canva
- Charles Sturt University
- Commercial Radio and Audio
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
- Copyright Advisory Group (CAG) - Schools and TAFEs
- Copyright Agency Limited
- Council of Australasian Archives and Records Authorities (CAARA)
- Council of Australian University Librarians
- Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI)
- Fiona Phillips Law
- Foxtel Group
- Free TV Australia
- Image Makers Association Australia
- Interactive Games and Entertainment Association
- Kathryn Gledhill-Tucker - Nyungar technologist, writer, digital rights activist
- Law Council of Australia – Intellectual Property Committee
- Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA)
- Meta
- Microsoft
- National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA)
- Netflix
- News Corp Australia
- Nine Entertainment Company
- Paramount Australia & New Zealand
- Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) / Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)
- Policy Australia
- Prime Video
- Public Interest Journalism Initiative (PIJI)
- Screen Producers Australia
- Screenrights
- Seven West Media
- Special Broadcasting Service (SBS)
- Tech Council of Australia
- Terri Janke and Company Lawyers and Consultants
- The Guardian
- Tui Raven – Deakin University
- Universities Australia
- University of New South Wales
- University of Western Australia - Tech & Policy Hub
- Vision Australia
Steering committee
The CAIRG steering committee assists us by testing ideas and refining questions ahead of engaging with the broader group. The steering committee comprises the following representatives:
- Dr Louise Buckingham – Arts Law Centre of Australia
- Dean Ormston – Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (APRA AMCOS)
- James Cheatley – Australia New Zealand Screen Association (represented by Motion Picture Association)
- Eileen Camilleri – Australian Copyright Council
- Siew Lee Seow – Australian Information Industry Association
- Sarah Powell – Australian Libraries and Archives Copyright Coalition / Australian Digital Alliance
- Trish Hepworth – Australian Library and Information Association
- Dr Stuart Glover – Australian Publishers Association
- Dr Kylie Pappalardo – Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre for Excellence for Automated Decision Making + Society (ADM+S)
- Olivia Lanchester – Australian Society of Authors
- Wendy Black – Business Council of Australia
- Delia Browne – Copyright Advisory Group (CAG) - Schools and TAFEs
- Jo Johnston – Copyright Agency Limited
- Tui Raven – Deakin University
- Bridget Fair – FreeTV
- Angus Lang SC – Law Council of Australia
- Annabelle Herd – Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) / Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)
- Carolyn Hough – Policy Australia
- James Dickinson – Screenrights
- Erika Ly – Tech Council of Australia