Duration: October 2023 until March 2025
Generative text AI, or AI that synthetically generates images or voices, uses massive amounts of training data. AI companies do this by using automated ‘scraping’ on the internet: works of art, knowledge and intellectual labour are downloaded en masse to ‘feed’ LLM (large language models) or more specialised applications based on this technology. No payment is made. It is almost impossible to enforce authors’ rights against AI companies. Ultimately, however, AI products contribute to devaluing ‘human’ text and creative work. Authorial work and authors’ rights are thus first negated (for the purpose of AI training) and then replaced (by AI products). A data-driven economic upheaval is taking place.
The aim of the project was to initiate a sufficiently broad, well-founded and committed discussion between the creative and book industries, academia and journalism on the highly topical and globally controversial topic of ‘generative AI’ and authorship/copyright. Where does the protection of authorship and authors’ data currently stand? How do publishers, associations and legal policy makers position themselves?
As part of an ad personam fellowship at TU Darmstadt (Institute of Philosophy) for writer and copyright activist Nina George, Honorary President of the European Writers Council, Prof. Dr. Petra Gehring and Nina George organised a series of four colloquiums and, on 10/11 December 2024, a two-day public symposium with around 120 participants at the Centralstation Darmstadt. The event culminated in the adoption of ten recommendations, which will form the basis of a Darmstadt Declaration in 2025. In addition, essays have been published and a book is in preparation.
Content? Context!
Generative AI and creative authorship in knowledge work and literature
Interactive symposium
10 December 2024 | 09:30 – 17:30
11 December 2024 | 09:30 – 16:30
Centralstation Darmstadt
How does thinking, creating, mental and textual work, legal concepts, communication and the view of humanity change under the increased use of automatically producing computer technologies, so-called ‘generative AI’? How can the consequences of the revaluation and devaluation of human authorship be measured? What could legal, economic and ethical regulations look like?
Verführbarkeiten: KI und Autorenschaft in Literatur und Wissensarbeit
Audio feature by Ludger Fittkau from the programme Fazit on Deutschlandfunk Kultur | 10 December 2024
Listen to the audio feature on Deutschlandfunk Kultur
(in German only)
KI und Urheberschaft – Symposium in Darmstadt
Audio feature by Ludger Fittkau from the programme Kultur heute on Deutschlandfunk | 11. Dezember 2024
Listen to the audio feature on Deutschlandfunk
(in German only)
„Das Prinzip der datenbasierten Tischtennisbälle“
Article by Sabine Cronau in Börsenblatt – Wochenmagazin für den Deutschen Buchhandel | 19 December 2024
read the article in Börsenblatt
(in German only)
Gesellschaftliche Folgen von KI-Einsatz in Massenmedien – Tagung in Darmstadt
Audio feature by Ludger Fittkau from the programme @mediasres on Deutschlandfunk | 09. Januar 2025
Listen to the audio feature on Deutschlandfunk
(in German only)
Principal Investigators
Prof. Dr. Petra Gehring, Technische Universität Darmstadt | more information
Nina George, European Writers’ Council, Brüssel/Berlin/Bretagne | more information
