Irish Writers Protest Meta's Unauthorized Use of Works for AI Training
The Irish Writers Union protested Meta's use of members' copyrighted works to train the Llama AI model, submitting a petition with over 1,500 signatures to Ireland's government. The union alleges dozens of members had their work used without permission and called for the government to protect authors' copyright and negotiate compensation.
What happened
The Irish Writers Union submitted a petition with over 1,500 signatures to Ireland's Department of Enterprise on 17 April 2025, protesting Meta's use of members' copyrighted works to train its Llama AI model.
The union claims that dozens of its members have had their work used for AI training without permission. Meta states its AI model training is 'consistent with existing law'.
Reported impact
The union said the use of Irish writers' work has 'profound implications' for Irish authors and their livelihoods.
Index analysis
The protest was prompted by reports from The Atlantic claiming Meta used millions of books and research papers to train Llama.
Governance controls
The Irish government said it is working to implement EU AI law due to come into force later in 2025. The union's petition called on the government to summon Meta executives and insist that the rights and interests of authors are protected under EU copyright law.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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