Regulating Artificial Cultural Production. Comparing Cultural Policy Strategies in Light of the AI Revolution

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been a cause of concern, curiosity, speculation, widespread media interest, and both utopian and dystopian perspectives on potential consequences. The cultural sector has been one of the sectors that has attracted the most attention and controversy in the AI buzz, related to cultural workers fearing that their jobs might disappear, concern of rights-holders, and to the lack of remuneration for cultural content used for AI training. This study investigates existing Nordic attempts to include AI in explicit cultural policies and cultural policy strategies, as well as cultural production in general AI strategies. In what way do current and recent cultural policy strategies reflect (upon) AI? In what way and to what extent do current/recent AI strategies reflect on and address the cultural production sector? The article shows that neither cultural policy nor AI strategies have thoroughly discussed AI and cultural production. The policy narratives of these strategies are mainly assertions that they are complex issues with pros and cons. The article concludes by arguing that the fundamental practical, ideological, and terminological challenges to cultural policy from AI are far from being met through updated and informed production of policy documents.