Photo Credit: Björn Ulvaeus by Romain Moriceau
ABBA co-founder and CISAC president Björn Ulvaeus opened CISAC’s event in Paris celebrating its 100th anniversary, providing a statement on AI.
CISAC, the global network representing over 5 million creators of music, audio-visual, drama, literature, and visual arts, celebrated its 100th anniversary this week in Paris. ABBA co-founder and CISAC president Björn Ulvaeus opened the event, taking the stage to address AI, creativity, and the future of human expression, touching on regulatory developments in the UK and Europe, as well as the ongoing legal battles between Suno, Udio, and the major labels.
“People like us in this room have spent a century insisting—in legal and practical terms—that the person behind the work is real, identifiable, and owed something,” said Ulvaeus. “Creativity is one of the deepest expressions of our humanity.”
To that end, the organization also unveiled a new joint statement from creators that calls for the protection of human creativity as AI transforms the creative landscape. This has been signed by Björn Ulvaeus, Javed Akhtar (chair of IPRS), Yvonne Chaka Chaka (CISAC vice president), Anja Unger (president of LaScam), and more, with the wider creativity community now invited to add their names online.
“At a time when rapid advancements in artificial intelligence risk undermining the value of creative work, we affirm a shared responsibility: human creativity must be protected, respected, and sustained as a defining force of expression, culture, identity, and progress,” the declaration begins.
The document also outlines four central principles, these include the protection of human creativity and cultural diversity; transparency, licensing, and fair remuneration in AI systems; the importance of collective management in sustaining creative ecosystems; and the need for governments and policymakers to safeguard creators’ rights and cultural expression.
The declaration was unveiled before an audience of more than 450 creators, policymakers, collective management leaders, and cultural industry representatives from every corner of the world. The commitment comes amid intensifying international debate around the use of copyrighted creative works in AI systems and growing concerns over transparency, consent, and remuneration for creators whose works are used to train generative AI technologies.
