As a cultural institution celebrating its 20th year of showcasing exceptional creative work, we recognise the importance of a robust AI policy to safeguard our Artists in Residence from exploitation.

As law makers struggle to keep up with developments alongside Open AI aiding competitors to rebuild its own model, fear in the creative sector is entirely valid. We weren’t the only ones who had a wry smile at Sam Altman’s reaction to China’s deepstate AI tool, given the data mining that has taken place from creatives.

Lack of guidance from Government
I have increasing concern for the UK government’s consultation on its ‘opt-out’ proposals that would give automatic permission to tech companies to directly lift creative content online unless those owning copyright have taken action to prohibit it.

This poses a threat to undermine creatives particularly those who are not aware of the significance of this or who are not being included in the discussion, which is why we are continuing to consult with our Artists in Residence as we formed our AI policy earlier this year.

Listening to those most impacted
The majority of those I have spoken to so far outright reject AI as a tool in their work, as a choice an artist might make. One of the most important aspects of art is nuance, and I can’t help but think AI, while it is very good at identifying patterns, will be unable to embody what it means to be an artist. However, we need to prepare for what will continue to gain pace, amid uncertainty, and bring clarity.

I do think there can be some cause for cautious optimism. We were founded in 2004, the same year as YouTube and Facebook, and the community we have built has thrived in the face of huge social change, particularly when adults and young people are spending much more time online. AI can be a tool or choice for creatives to support their work, as long as it is not then used to train models to replace them.

We have been embracing a trial Microsoft Copilot where prompts, responses, and file contents generated when using Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps aren’t used to train foundation models.

I have also received some positive feedback that it’s been particularly helpful to one artist working with first generation migrants who benefited from translation support. I look forward to tools that can support accessibility (while recognising that they cannot be let loose on people without checking what they generate).

If you are unsure of the next steps to take, I would recommend the following:

1. Recognise and communicate the value of creatives in your team
Ensure the work of your creative teams, whether communicators, artists, video producers and content creators, is fully celebrated as core to business success. Recognise the energy, passion and goals of your creative teams and reassure them that they have a value and their work is important. Share your appreciation for successful campaigns, as well as knowledge of their wider impact on your organisation. For example, graphic designers are guardians of the brand and help you communicate your values visually.

2. Get on the front foot and upskill staff, artists and our local community
Knowledge is power. Be agile in keeping on top of the latest developments in policy and technology and extract meaning and next steps for your organisation. There is no time to rest on laurels as your creatives’ IP is online now and you should be clear and transparent in how you communicate the impact of this on your creative community. Invest in delivering training to the freelancers and artists you work with if they haven’t been able to access it themselves.

3. Listen to creatives when developing an AI company policy
Gathering insights and sentiment is crucial to building your messaging and policy around AI. As we develop our policies in a fast changing world, constant communication and skill development will be vital tools to ensure we remain relevant and supportive to creatives. We have recently had a team away day specifically on protecting creatives and we are preparing and editing our AI policy amid daily changes and challenges to the wider tech and policy landscape. You may also want to consider nominating an AI champion to work alongside you to make the work feel collaborative with shared accountability.

4. Invest in creatives
It goes without saying, but practice what you preach by continuing to invest in creative roles in your organisation. AI tools are not a substitute for hiring creatives who are experts in design, writing, composing, brand, social media, marketing, events or any other creative discipline.

5. Get support
We have recently been selected for the Bloomberg Philanthropies Digital Accelerator Programme that aims to help cultural organisations strengthen technology and management practices to improve operations, drive revenue, increase fundraising, engage audiences, and deliver dynamic programming.