April 7, 2026.
Good news! On March 17, the federal government announced the formation of an AI and Culture Advisory Council to address the many challenges posed by Generative Artificial Intelligence. It is gratifying to see the ART basics agreed to, that there should be Authorization, there should be Remuneration and there should be Transparency.
The Mississauga Arts Council’s focus group on AI, met afterward to discuss what doesn’t fit the acronym – education, protection, and enforcement.
The art teacher, a talented visual artist, lamented, “It is so sad to deny students their personal exploration, their journey, the growing. The absence of the human context in art creation hurts students’ ability to connect to themselves and others.”
The TV director/producer wondered where their original project pitch documents would go? How could they protect their original idea?
“If you take away the art making, you take away all the good from Hip Hop, from creating the benefits you feel.” said the Hip Hop producer.
The singer-songwriter called streaming a false promise. “We’ve been through streaming and lost so much revenue. Paid fractions of a penny per play and with streamer’s own AI Bots creating music, the payments for human musicians will get even smaller.”
Alternatively, the playwright considered their interaction with AI as the best writing lesson they ever had. The photographer cited AI tools that helped their business with writing and accounting. And the savvy visual artist uses Nightshade, the AI protection program, from the University of Chicago, through its benchmark Glaze Project: https://glaze.cs.uchicago.edu/what-is-glaze.html
The gallery owner underlined that we’re all going to need AI tools but there has to be some guidance and management in the replacement of people and their works. “It’s confusing and we need education.”
Creatives must look to their professional associations for guidance and get engaged in their own survival. Arts Councils have to get ready to deliver education programming.
So too, the Canada Council must play a leadership role in the sector they promise to support. If Canada Council is more than a passive funder and researcher, then why can’t the Canada Council lead from in front?
As their mandate reads in part – “The Council is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to “foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.”
Facing the AI challenge, the artists of Canada need a Council that proactively supports an informed, equipped and sustainable arts sector.
Best regards,
Mike Douglas
PS Next; a look at an underestimated ally – the CBC.
PPS got an AI research source to share? Please send to info@macarts.ca
Nicely said, Mike. We all just have to keep plugging away at it!