MUMBAI: As algorithms learn to create, creators are drawing a line in the digital sand. The Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) has joined creators, authors’ societies and cultural leaders from around the world in backing the Paris Commitment, a landmark declaration aimed at protecting human creativity, creator rights and cultural diversity in the age of artificial intelligence.
The declaration was adopted during the 100th General Assembly of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) in Paris, bringing together more than 450 creators, policymakers, collective management organisations and industry leaders to address one of the most pressing questions facing the creative economy: how to ensure that AI-driven innovation does not come at the expense of creators.
Representing India at the gathering were Javed Akhtar, Chairperson of IPRS; Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS; Ameet Datta, Legal Head, IPRS; and lyricist, screenwriter and IPRS Board Member Mayur Puri.
The move comes as debates around artificial intelligence intensify globally, particularly over the use of copyrighted content to train generative AI systems. Creators across industries have raised concerns about transparency, consent, attribution and compensation as AI tools become increasingly capable of generating music, text, images and video.
Among the prominent signatories to the declaration were ABBA co-founder and CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus, composer Jean-Michel Jarre, singer-songwriter Yvonne Chaka Chaka, songwriter Paul Williams, composer Simon Franglen, filmmaker Ángeles González-Sinde, and Javed Akhtar, among several others representing the global creative community.
The Paris Commitment is built around four key principles: protecting human creativity and cultural diversity; ensuring transparency, licensing and fair remuneration in AI systems; strengthening collective management organisations; and encouraging governments to safeguard creators’ rights and cultural expression.
The declaration also arrives at a time when the economics of creativity are becoming increasingly significant. According to CISAC’s latest annual report, global collections for creators reached a record €13.97 billion, highlighting the growing value of copyright-driven industries worldwide.
Digital revenues have surged by nearly 70 per cent over the last decade, fuelled by streaming, digital licensing and technology-led distribution models. At the same time, India has emerged as a key market in international discussions around AI regulation, copyright reform and creator remuneration, alongside major jurisdictions including the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
For creators, the stakes are high. As AI systems become more sophisticated, questions around ownership, compensation and creative control are moving from theoretical debates to urgent policy discussions.
The Paris Commitment seeks to ensure that while technology continues to evolve, the people whose work powers much of that innovation are neither overlooked nor underpaid.
With CISAC representing more than five million creators across 111 countries and territories, the declaration signals a growing international consensus that the future of AI and the future of creativity must be built together, not at each other’s expense.
As the race to develop more powerful AI systems gathers pace, creators worldwide are sending a clear message, innovation may be automated, but imagination remains human.