Less Than Two Weeks After Launch, Society of Authors Withdraws from Global Ethical AI Charter
The Society of Authors quietly stepped back from a charter it helped bring into the world less than two weeks prior. The UK organization announced its withdrawal from the Charter of Ethical AI Use in the Creative Industries after its own members pushed back hard against the decision to sign on in the first place.
The about-face is striking in its speed. It took less than a fortnight for internal criticism to outweigh whatever momentum carried the SoA to the charter's launch, suggesting the membership holds real sway over leadership when it comes to questions of AI and creative rights.
The withdrawal puts a spotlight on just how divided the creative community remains on the question of ethical AI frameworks. For writers and authors especially, any charter touching on AI use carries enormous stakes, and clearly not everyone felt this one got it right.
What happens next for the charter itself, and for the SoA's position on AI in the creative industries, remains to be seen.
Originally published by Brittle Paper.