Statement on Senate IP Subcommittee’s Hearing on AI and Copyright 

This statement can be attributed to Chris Mohr, President, Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA).

We commend Senators Tillis and Coons for the balanced hearing they are holding on copyright and artificial intelligence. AI is a transformative technology for those in the business of information, and our membership is optimistic about generative AI’s “vast potential to unlock new opportunities for creators” as Dana Rao, General Counsel and Chief Trust Office of Adobe put it.  It holds the potential to “usher in a new age,” in which “creativity will finally become accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical skill level.”

For over two centuries, the copyright law and the equitable doctrine of fair use have successfully created incentives for authors and a robust environment for technological innovation.  While particular use cases can raise challenging and nuanced issues in particular factual circumstances, we believe that the courts can successfully resolve them.