“Make It Fair”: AI, Creators, and Ethical Media Use
A coalition of UK creators launched the "Make It Fair" campaign this quarter, demanding AI firms stop scraping their work without consent. This is about respect. And rights.
Why it matters: In the race to scale content, the rights of creatives—writers, photographers, filmmakers—are being trampled. An article from the Brookings Institution titled “The case for consent in the AI data gold rush” highlighted that generative AI models are frequently trained on copyrighted material without permission or compensation. This not only undermines the work of artists, but also sets a precedent for valuing efficiency over ethics.
When creators aren’t protected, the entire creative ecosystem suffers. Diverse voices—especially those outside mainstream structures—are often the first to be exploited or ignored. The result? A flattening of culture, where homogenized content is created by machines trained on uncredited labor.
Ethical media production starts with consent. The Make It Fair campaign calls on tech companies, advertisers, and agencies alike to adopt principles that recognize and respect creators. It’s not anti-innovation—it’s pro-human.
What you can do:
Insist on clear usage rights in AI and content tools you use.
Choose platforms that pay or credit creators.
Build consent into your content workflows.
