SYDNEY — Australia and Canada are middle powers that could together play a key role in a disrupted world order and are ideally placed to shape the path to a creative economy in the age of AI.
These are the words of the leaders of APRA AMCOS and SOCAN who released a joint statement on creative industries and artificial intelligence on Friday 6th March.
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Rights groups have released a positive united front message that mirrors conversations between Australian Prime Ministers. Anthony Albanese and his opponent mark carneyHe was in Australia this week on his first official visit as a Canadian leader. In his address to Congress, Carney said topics of discussion included the challenges the two countries face in a “deteriorating geostrategic environment,” conducting business, and their plans for the future as “strategic cousins.”
Outside the traditional halls of power, APRA AMCOS hosted a CISAC board meeting in Sydney this week, which was also attended by SOCAN’s CEO Jennifer Brown.
“Australia and Canada are already recognized leaders in education, innovation, critical minerals and the strength of our democratic institutions,” said the statement, signed by SOCAN’s Mr Brown and APRA AMCOS’ CEO. Dean Ormston. “We believe now is a unique opportunity to add another pillar: a framework for AI development that treats cultural wealth, along with its strengths, as a sovereign asset, brings true partnership between creators and technology, and that the rest of the world can look to as a model.”
A number of new agreements were announced during Carney’s visit, including a new deal on clean energy, a biennial defense ministers’ meeting, an annual economy ministers’ meeting, and an agreement to enhance cooperation on space and emergency management, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
The two leaders also agreed that Australia would join Canada in the G7 Critical Minerals Producers Alliance and seek “common positions on key critical mineral issues.”
“If middle powers are shaping the rules of the AI era, rather than simply inheriting them, culture is not a footnote to that mission; it is part of the foundation, and we look forward to working with both governments to build on it,” SOCAN’s Brown and APRA AMCOS’s Ormston said in a statement.
Read the full joint statement below.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Albanese welcomed Prime Minister Carney to the Australian Parliament and stated unequivocally: “As two middle powers in an era of strategic competition, Australia and Canada must explore and create new ways to lean on and stand up for each other.” Prime Minister Carney was similarly frank about the stakes. He said countries like ours must cooperate in the development of artificial intelligence or risk being caught “caught between hyperscalers and hegemons.” We agree on both points and believe that unity must be tested and proven in the creative economy.
We collectively represent approximately 400,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and Canada. The shape of that framework is very important. It will determine whether the development of AI generates widespread cultural and economic benefits, or whether those profits flow to a vastly smaller number of global technology platforms, at the expense of the artists whose work makes AI possible.
Middle powers are in a unique position to answer this question. Australia has already demonstrated that it has become the first country in the world to exclude copyright exceptions for AI training, and has instead begun to work towards creating a working licensing framework. Canada is also participating in the same contest. Both countries understand that the choice is not between innovation and protecting creators. This is a false choice, a selfish choice advanced by those who want to sidestep the importance of artists and creators in the technological development of AI.
A sustainable path, and ultimately a more productive path, is a true partnership between the technology sector and the people who create the content that gives it value. That means consent before use, transparency about what is used, and fair compensation that goes back to creators and the communities they belong to. That means developing AI that enhances the quality and diversity of human creativity, rather than cannibalizing it.
APRA and SOCAN have each spent a century navigating technological change on behalf of creators, from radio to streaming to AI. Licensing infrastructure exists. Expertise exists. A partnership between the two governments creates the right conditions to create a framework that will make it work.
There is one aspect of this challenge that is uniquely shared between the two countries. It is the protection of indigenous cultural and intellectual property. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia and First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada each have living cultural knowledge such as songs, stories, language and rituals that AI systems are already collecting without their consent. This is not a niche concern. This is a test of whether the values both governments affirmed today, respect for indigenous cultures and peoples, are reflected in the practical architecture of AI governance.
Australia and Canada are already recognized leaders in education, innovation, critical minerals and the strength of our democratic institutions. We believe now is a unique opportunity to add another pillar. It is a framework for AI development that treats cultural wealth, along with its strengths, as a sovereign asset, brings about true partnership between creators and technology, and that the rest of the world can look to as a model.
If middle powers shape the rules of the AI era, rather than simply inheriting them, culture will not be a footnote to their mission. It’s part of the basics. We look forward to working with both governments to build on that.
Dean Ormston
APRA AMCOS CEO
jennifer brown
SOCAN Chief Executive Officer
