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.
For more information or to express interest in joining, contact CAIRG@ag.gov.au. Participation criteria apply, as out outlined in the CAIRG governance framework.
Priority issues
The initial focus of our consultation with the CAIRG has been on the use of copyright material as inputs for AI systems and on copyright-related AI transparency issues.
In May 2024, we asked CAIRG participants to complete a questionnaire as part of an exploratory mapping exercise on uses of copyright material as AI inputs. The questionnaire also asked for views on what objectives Australia should aim to achieve where our copyright framework intersects with the development, deployment and use of AI technology.
Read the questionnaire and the report on copyright and AI inputs
In September 2024, we asked CAIRG participants to respond to a discussion paper on copyright and AI transparency issues. The discussion paper sought views on whether there are any specific copyright-related AI transparency issues where the government should consider urgent action through our work on copyright and AI. It also aimed to support CAIRG participants to engage with the government’s proposals paper for introducing mandatory guardrails for AI in high-risk settings on copyright-related AI transparency issues that cut across both consultation processes.
Read the copyright and transparency discussion paper and the summary of the responses
CAIRG meetings and presentations
We have hosted several meetings and presentations open to all CAIRG participants via video conference.
On 22 February 2024, we hosted a first CAIRG meeting to discuss the proposed structure and operational arrangements for the CAIRG and 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.
On 29 May 2024, we hosted a technical information session organised by the Tech Council of Australia. The aim of this session was to give CAIRG participants an opportunity to hear from the tech industry about how they develop and use AI, providing potentially useful context for their responses to the questionnaire on uses of copyright material as AI inputs that was open at the time. 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.
On 4 September 2024, we hosted a third meeting to present findings from CAIRG feedback we received in response to the questionnaire. This feedback is supporting future engagements with the CAIRG and helping inform policy advice to government on copyright and AI.
Participants
Reference group
The following organisations and individuals have participated or expressed interest in participating in CAIRG meetings or other engagements:
- A New Approach (ANA)
- Adobe
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- 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 (ANZSA) represented by Motion Picture Association (MPA)
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
- Australian Copyright Council (ACC)
- Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA)
- Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)
- Australian Libraries and Archives Copyright Coalition (ALACC) / Australian Digital Alliance
- Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA)
- Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA)
- Australian Publishers Association (APA)
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre for Excellence for Automated Decision Making + Society (ADM+S)
- Australian Screen Directors Authorship Collecting Society (ASDACS)
- Australian Society of Authors (ASA)
- Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG) / Australian Writers’ Guild Authorship Collecting Society
- BSA – The Software Alliance
- Business Council of Australia (BCA)
- Canva
- Charles Sturt University (CSU)
- Commercial Radio and Audio (CRA)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
- Copyright Advisory Group – Schools and TAFEs (CAG)
- Copyright Agency Limited
- Council of Australasian Archives and Records Authorities (CAARA)
- Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL)
- Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI)
- Fiona Phillips Law
- Foxtel Group
- Free TV Australia
- Image Makers Association Australia
- Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA)
- 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)
- National Open Science Taskforce (NOST)
- Netflix
- News Corp Australia
- Nine Entertainment Company
- OpenAI
- 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 (UNSW)
- 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 (ANZSA) represented by Motion Picture Association (MPA)
- Eileen Camilleri – Australian Copyright Council (ACC)
- Siew Lee Seow – Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA)
- Sarah Powell – Australian Libraries and Archives Copyright Coalition (ALACC) / Australian Digital Alliance
- Trish Hepworth – Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA)
- Dr Stuart Glover – Australian Publishers Association (APA)
- Dr Kylie Pappalardo – Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre for Excellence for Automated Decision Making + Society (ADM+S)
- Lucy Hayward – Australian Society of Authors (ASA)
- Wendy Black – Business Council of Australia (BCA)
- Delia Browne – Copyright Advisory Group (CAG) - Schools and TAFEs (CAG)
- 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