European Union under fire for failing to protect creatives from AI copyright loopholes

The European Union is facing growing backlash for what many are calling a devastating copyright loophole in the implementation of its AI Act.

Critics, including Axel Voss, a key architect of the 2019 EU copyright directive, argue that the law was not designed with generative AI models—such as those that can create text, music, or images based on simple prompts—in mind.

While the Artificial Intelligence Act aims to regulate tech firms, Voss claims it fails to safeguard the rights of European creatives, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by major tech companies.

The lack of strong provisions on copyright protection, especially concerning the controversial text and data mining (TDM) exemption, has alarmed authors, musicians, and cultural organizations.

They argue that the current framework allows large companies to freely harvest vast amounts of intellectual property without providing fair compensation or proper recognition for the original creators.

With no practical means for creatives to opt out of having their work used in AI applications, many fear that their rights are being trampled. For now, it remains to be seen how the EU will address these concerns and whether more robust legislation will be introduced to protect creative industries.