ALCS survey sets out writers' views on AI training
An ALCS survey of more than 13,500 writers finds most want to be asked, and paid, before their work is used to train AI.
The Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) published the results of a survey of its members on artificial intelligence on 4 December 2024. It drew more than 13,500 responses from UK writers.
According to the ALCS, only 7% of respondents who knew their work had been used to train AI systems had given permission, and 77% did not know whether their work had been used at all. Some 91% said their permission should be sought first, 96% wanted payment for past use and 87% wanted proper acknowledgement when their work is used.
Some 81% said they would be open to collective licensing as a way of securing fair payment.
Why it matters: the survey was published shortly before the UK government's consultation on copyright and AI, and it shows where many writers stand: they are less concerned with stopping AI use altogether than with consent, transparency and payment. Collective licensing may become one of the practical routes for authors and small publishers to be paid.
Sources: IFRRO: ALCS survey highlights writers' concerns over AI usage; Publishers Weekly: UK authors weigh in on AI licensing in new survey.