A new European Parliament (JURI Committee) study takes an evidence-based look at how copyright policy should respond to AI training:
“The economics of copyright and AI” (Dec 2025)
🔗 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/supporting-analyses/sa-highlights
▪️ The long-term value of AI depends on a continuous flow of high-quality creative works, not just existing datasets.
▪️ When creators expect uncompensated AI use, creative output declines—this is already observable in some sectors.
▪️ The real policy goal is not retroactive payment, but preserving incentives for future creation.
▪️ From a total-welfare perspective, statutory licensing consistently outperforms broad exceptions or opt-out models.
▪️ Importantly, consumers—not AI firms—bear most of the costs, making consumer welfare central to policy design.
A must-read for anyone working at the intersection of AI, copyright, and EU digital policy.
Written by: Marisol Muñiz