Dublin, Ireland – The battle lines are drawn! Irish writers, backed by the symbolic power of Irish wolfhounds, have taken their protest directly to the Dáil and Government buildings in Dublin, accusing Meta of large-scale copyright infringement in the training of its AI models. Spearheaded by the Irish Writers Union (IWU), the demonstration targets Meta’s alleged use of copyrighted material to train its Llama 3 AI model, igniting a fiery debate over fair compensation and intellectual property rights in the age of artificial intelligence.
The IWU, uniting Irish publishers, screenwriters, and poets, is demanding Meta’s compliance with Irish and EU copyright laws. The protest follows revelations from a US court case suggesting Meta’s unauthorized use of millions of copyrighted works. Award-winning author Audrey Magee expressed her shock and concern, stating her work was accessed and used without consent. She also noted the wolfhounds’ presence was a powerful symbol of Ireland’s literary heritage. Ruth O’Leary and Sam Blake, also members of the IWU, have joined the protest, claiming their works have been used for AI training purposes.
IWU Chairman Conor McAnally declared, “It is difficult enough to make a living as a writer without billionaires deciding it’s too inconvenient to pay for our work.” He vowed to defend members’ rights and demand fair compensation for the use of their work and called on the Irish government to support writers whose work has been pirated and hold Meta accountable.
A petition with 1500 signatures has been delivered to the Irish Department for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation. Minister Niamh Smyth TD, stated that policies and legislation are adapting to emerging AI challenges. The IWU is urging members to file legal complaints against Meta, demanding an immediate halt to the use of copyrighted material in AI training until appropriate permissions are secured. They also insist on fair licensing terms and compensation for past unauthorized use. Meta’s AI training practices have been scrutinized following an investigation by The Atlantic, which revealed potential access to millions of pirated books and research papers via LibGen (Library Genesis). Meta claims its use of information aligns with existing law and it respects intellectual property rights.