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Three questions for Sabrina Konrad
As Deputy Head of Legal Services – Copyright and Related Rights, Sabrina Konrad is the project manager responsible for the CLTR 2024 public event. We asked her why the IPI is organising an event on the topic of ‘Creative work, artificial intelligence and the platform economy’ at this particular time, and what it hopes to gain from the event.
The IPI is planning a major event called CLTR 2024 on the topic of ‘Creative work, artificial intelligence and the platform economy’. Why now? Isn’t it almost too late?
Sabrina Konrad: In my view, the timing is just right. Many people have now had some experience with artificial intelligence. They’ve tried out various applications, and they’ve been able to form their own opinions. Platforms such as Spotify and Netflix have also become part of everyday life, and people’s reticence to use them is generally diminishing.
So now is the right time to talk to those affected, such as players from the cultural and creative industries, about the opportunities and risks of this rapid development, which is changing their working environment to a huge extent in some cases. At the same time, AI developers and platform operators should of course also have their say and be able to present their standpoint and their concerns. We’d like to invite them all to air their views and help shape their own future.
Is it even necessary or possible to regulate the use of AI and the platform economy? Isn’t it already too late for that?
I think that laws should function sustainably and last as long as possible. This means that it’s important to think carefully about whether regulation is needed at all, and if so, what kind of regulation. It’s often said that the market regulates itself. In my view, however, culture’s too important to society to just leave everything to the market without any further scrutiny. At the event CLTR 2024, we also want to include the perspective of those directly affected and invite them to contribute their suggestions and ideas. This is why we’re calling on cultural and artistic professionals, AI developers and platform operators to come to Basel on 5 November and help shape their future.
In which direction does the IPI think that regulation will develop? Do you already see possible ways forward, or is everything still open?
There are various conceivable scenarios. In the field of artificial intelligence and copyright in particular, there are numerous ongoing court cases in the United States. Depending on how these are decided, there may be a need for action in one direction or another,
partly to secure the future of artists and cultural professionals and partly to continue to enable innovation and the development of AI systems. We look forward to hearing how those affected see the situation.
