Artificial intelligence
contact: ai@ceatl.eu (ai null@null ceatl NULL.eu)
CEATL’s AI Working Group was created originally to draft our Statement on Artificial Intelligence, published in 2023: “No-one left behind. No language left behind. No book left behind”.
Since then, it has been constantly busy advocating for the defense of authors’ rights and human creation.
CEATL has been selected for participating in the Consultation (https://digital-strategy NULL.ec NULL.europa NULL.eu/en/news/kick-plenary-general-purpose-ai-code-practice-took-place-online) (sept. 2024-April 2025) launched by the DG for Communications Networks, Content & Technology (CNECT) of the European Commission for the draft (https://digital-strategy NULL.ec NULL.europa NULL.eu/en/library/second-draft-general-purpose-ai-code-practice-published-written-independent-experts) of the AI Code of Practice that will detail the AI Act rules for providers of general-purpose AI models and general-purpose AI models with systemic risks.
Latest news
Publications
In 2024, CEATL conducted a survey with individual translators to assess the uses of AI by translators and publishers.
In 2023, CEATL conducted a survey with its members to know how associations handled the use of AI by literary translators in 27 European countries.
Our statement on generative AI, “No-one left behind. No language left behind. No book left behind”, can be downloaded in 15 languages.
Our actions in media
n. 10 of our e-zine Counterpoint is a special feature dedicated to AI and literary translation with contributions from literary translators, authors, researchers and experts.
Panels, webinars
Ela Varošanec Krsnik presents our stance on AI at the European Conference on Literary Translation, Strasbourg, 2-4 October 2024
Franesca Novajra at the Salone Internazione del Libro di Torino, May 2024
January 2025 – CEATL organised a webinar on AI and literary translation with Prof. Dorothy Kenny on AI in literary translation for its member organisations.
October 2024, Strasbourg, European Conference on Literary Translation. Presentation: “How machine translation works” by Antonio Toral and panel discussion: “Literary translation and artificial intelligence: useful tool or false friend?” with James Hadley, André Hansen, Ela Varošanec Krsnik, Monika Pfundmeier, Katharine Throssell and Jesper Monthan. (Watch the video here. (https://www NULL.youtube NULL.com/watch?v=B_1YNpGUvsM&list=PL4H__fYc79tj6TKRR1FO_tz9ikU38XXZD&index=10))
May 2024, Turin Bookfair, Translators Café: “Intelligenza artificiale e traduzione”, with Edoardo Brugnatelli, Giorgio Gianotto, Francesca Novajra, Silvia Pareschi.
April 2024, Bologna Children’s Book Fair: “New technologies creativity and ethical issues: copyright challenges in the age of AI” with Silvia Bernardini, Giorgio Francheschelli, Federico Garcea, Francesca Lagioia, Claudia Lecci, Francesca Novajra.
May 2023, Ljubljana: “Literary translation, between imagination and ‘botisation'”, organised by our Slovenian member DSKP, with Cécile Deniard (CEATL, ATLF), researchers Simon Krek and Spela Vintar and legal expert Gregor Strojin. (Watch the video here. (https://youtu NULL.be/p5sP2-hDolo?si=kmvm4xfEL3f5RHdI))
Letters and joint statements
7 February 2025 Paris 2025 AI Action Summit: International charter on “Culture and Innovation” (https://respectdudroitdauteur NULL.fr/)
6 December 2024 The impact of AI on creators: joint statement to the new EU Commission
6 November 2024 Open letter to Veen Bosch & Keuning in regards to the usage of AI to translate books into English language
23 July 2024 joint letter to members of the European Parliament on the impact of AI on the European creative community
25 April 2024 joint statement CEATL, together with 12 European and International authors’, performers’ and other creative workers’ organisations, welcome the adoption of the AI Act but underline the need of an effective implementation, the safeguard of the fundamental rights of authors and performers and of transparency
23 November 2023 joint statement (https://europeanwriterscouncil NULL.eu/2311ai_pro_innovation_creator/) For an innovation and creator friendly AI Act Europe’s creative community urges EU policymakers to put transparency back at the heart of the EU AI Act
26 September 2023 Authors’, performers’ and other creative workers’ organisations joint statement (https://europeanwriterscouncil NULL.eu/jointstatement-13-federations-on-aiact/) on artificial intelligence and the draft AI act
From member and partner organisations
France
Non à l’automatisation des métiers de l’art 1 (https://staa-cnt-so NULL.org/2022/11/11/non-a-lautomatisation-des-metiers-de-lart/), STAA (Syndicat des travailleurs-euses artistes-auteur-trices), December 2022
Non à l’automatisation des métiers de l’art 2 (https://staa-cnt-so NULL.org/2023/03/17/non-a-lautomatisation-des-metiers-de-lart-2/), STAA (Syndicat des travailleurs-euses artistes-auteur-trices), March 2023
Tribune ATLF/ATLAS (https://atlf NULL.org/tribune/), March 2023
Collectif En chair et en os (https://enchairetenos NULL.org/), September 2023
Germany
Gute Arbeit in der Kultur stärken auch beim Einsatz von genertiver künstlicher Intelligenz (https://kunst-kultur NULL.verdi NULL.de/++file++64f5d60b1205651638e5c5b7/download/verdi-Kunst-und-Kultur_KI-in-der-Kultur_09-2023 NULL.pdf), Ver.di, September 2023
Italy
Comunicato sull’intelligenza artificiale generativa (https://www NULL.traduttoristrade NULL.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/AI-ICWA-STRADE-comunicato-regolamentazione-IA NULL.pdf), ICWA, Strade, December 2023
UK
Artificial Intelligence. Protecting copyright and creative careers in the face of new technology (https://www2 NULL.societyofauthors NULL.org/where-we-stand/artificial-intelligence/), Society of Authors, 2023
Spain
Manifiesto de la Cultura ante la IA (https://ace-traductores NULL.org/manifiesto-de-la-cultura-ante-la-ia/), ACE traductores, October 2024
Switzerland
La traduction et l’«IA» (https://www NULL.a-d-s NULL.ch/bon-a-savoir/intelligence-artificielle-ia/), A*dS, 2024
Joint manifesto Swiss-German-Austrian Literary Translators (https://www NULL.a-d-s NULL.ch/uploads/media/default/449/AG%20Literaturu_bersetzen%20und%20KI_Manifest_D NULL.pdf), March 2024