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January 5, 2026
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CEPIC 2026 Theme: AI: Challenge as an Opportunity

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future consideration for the visual media industry; it is already embedded in how content is created, managed, discovered, and licensed. From automated metadata and search tools to translation, clean-up, and workflow optimisation, AI is reshaping everyday practice.

At the same time, this rapid evolution presents complex challenges around copyright, ethics, transparency, and fair market structures. CEPIC 2026 is designed to address both sides of this reality, under the central theme “AI: Challenge as Opportunity.”

A programme shaped by real-world change

The CEPIC 2026 conference programme will feature 15+ conferences and workshops that reflect how AI is currently being used and debated across the visual media licensing ecosystem. Rather than focusing solely on generative AI, the programme takes a broader view of AI technologies already influencing productivity, rights management, distribution, and decision-making.

Across three days in Valencia, sessions will explore AI from multiple perspectives, including:

  • Technical developments and tools supporting content workflows
  • Legal and regulatory frameworks shaping AI use in visual media
  • Ethical considerations around authorship, transparency, and trust
  • Commercial impact on licensing models, market access, and competition
  • The role of industry collaboration in defining best practice

This multi-angle approach reflects the reality facing visual media professionals today: AI cannot be addressed in isolation, and no single stakeholder group holds all the answers.

From challenge to opportunity

A central question running through CEPIC 2026 is how the industry can move beyond reactive responses to AI and instead shape its use in a way that supports creativity, sustainability, and fair value exchange.

The programme is built to encourage open discussion between content creators, agencies, distributors, technology providers, legal experts, and policy specialists. By bringing these voices together, CEPIC 2026 aims to identify where AI genuinely enhances productivity and efficiency, and where safeguards, standards, or regulatory clarity are needed.

Workshops and panel discussions will focus on practical implications as much as strategic outlooks, ensuring that conversations remain grounded in the realities of day-to-day business.

Looking ahead

CEPIC 2026 will take place from 6 - 8 May 2026 in Valencia, Spain, bringing together the global visual media licensing community at a moment of significant change. Further programme details, speaker announcements, and participation opportunities will be shared in the coming months. The programme remains subject to change as sessions are confirmed.

For enquiries or to express interest in participating as a panellist, please contact cepic2026@cepic.org.

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