Choose Carefully: AI Regulation, Copyright, and the Recement IFLA Statement

Abstract

This presentation examines the critical policy and regulatory tensions surrounding the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), framing the debate around the core question: What is the desired information environment of the future? It explores four key axes of debate—copyright, safety, regulation, and politics—highlighting the conflict between compensation models and fair use principles for text and data mining (TDM).

The session makes the case for libraries to be central actors in this debate, advocating for their roles as information fiduciaries who keep users safe and as champions of knowledge inclusion that enable all people to access and create information.

Finally, the presentation outlines the key tenets of the IFLA Statement on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence (April 2025), setting forth specific recommendations for libraries, governments, and rightsholders to ensure a responsible and ethical path forward for AI development.

(presented on 15 August 2025 at "Copyright and Other Legal Implications of AI" session)