Supporting Statement
The use of AI by large corporations raises significant social policy concerns. These concerns include potential discrimination or bias in employment decisions, mass layoffs due to job automation, facility closures, the misuse and disclosure of private data, and the creation of “deep fake” media content that may result disseminate false information. These concerns pose a risk to the public and the Company’s reputation and financial position.
Transparency regarding the Company’s use of AI, and any ethical guidelines governing that use, will strengthen the Company. Transparency would address the public’s growing concerns and distrust about the indiscriminate use of AI, strengthening the Company’s position and reputation as a responsible, trustworthy, and sustainable leader in its industry. With a transparency report, the Company could establish that it uses AI in a safe, responsible, and ethical manner that complements the work of its employees and values the public.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has developed ethical guidelines to help guide the design, use, and deployment of AI. These five principles for an AI Bill of Rights are 1) safe and effective systems, 2) algorithmic discrimination protections, 3) data privacy, 4) notice and explanation, and 5) human alternatives, consideration, and fallback. (White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights: Making Automated Systems Work for the American People,” October 2022, available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/ai-bill-of-rights).
If the Company does not already have ethical guidelines for the use of AI, the adoption of ethical guidelines for the use of AI may improve the Company’s performance by avoiding costly labor disruptions and lawsuits related to the improper use of AI. The entertainment industry writer and performer strikes, sparked in part by AI concerns, and lawsuits related to the use of copyrighted works by AI engines have been prominent new stories throughout 2023 and may prove costly for companies that make use of AI.
We believe that issuing an AI transparency report is particularly important for companies such as ours in the entertainment industry that create artistic works that are the basis for our shared culture. In our view, AI systems should not be trained on copyrighted works, or the voices, likenesses and performances of professional performers, without transparency, consent and compensation to creators and rights holders. AI should also not be used to create literary material, to replace or supplant the creative work of professional writers.
For these reasons, we urge you to vote FOR this proposal.