Are you attending RightsCon 2023, either in person in Costa Rica or virtually online? Join the Creative Commons team and community members for two sessions, one in-person for RightsCon participants in San José  and the other virtual so anyone can attend with a free online pass.

These sessions on artificial intelligence (AI) and open journalism will extend our work to support the public interest commons and a better internet for everyone, by following our strategy to support better sharing, sharing that is contextual, inclusive, just, equitable, reciprocal, and sustainable. Both topics will also be part of the program at CC’s Global Summit during 3–6 Oct 2023 in Mexico City, now open for registration and session proposals!

Exploring the values that will shape AI for a better internet

“AI for a Better Internet at RightsCon 2023” by Creative Commons is dedicated to the public domain via CC0 1.0.

In-person session: Tue 6 June 2023 16:30–17:30 Costa Rica time

We have all witnessed the internet’s ability to democratize speech and access to knowledge, give voice to the voiceless, and support shared online spaces. We have also seen how the internet’s evolution can cause unanticipated harms and how tools for sharing can be misused to manipulate, mislead, and limit choice. With AI coming online, we now also see how both benefits and harms can be augmented and accelerated at scale.  Organizations that have been championing digital human rights to benefit internet users everywhere are collaborating on an emerging Movement for a Better internet. Together we are working to crystallize shared values about what would constitute “better” and paths to get to a better internet from different perspectives, with a primary goal to produce a statement of values that underpin a broader public interest vision, and a collaborative policy agenda for a better internet.

At CC, we’ve been exploring issues around AI for some time — for example, see our 2023 blog post series and our 2021 blog post: Should CC-Licensed Content be Used to Train AI? It Depends. But the way forward is still not clear. Our workshop with other members of the Movement for a Better Internet will distill thinking from the RightsCon community about the opportunities and challenges AI brings to the commons and the internet, and explore potential solutions to shape AI for the better.

Open journalism: Why many newsrooms open and share their content, and how you can help!

“Open Journalism at RightsCon 2023” by Creative Commons is dedicated to the public domain via CC0 1.0.

Virtual online session: Wed 7 June 2023 09:30–10:30 UTC

Journalism is a critical public service to all of us. Unfettered access to verified information is essential for a healthy information ecosystem — which is essential for democracy and social justice. Yet, journalism is challenged by broken revenue models, the closures of local news outlets, and declining trust among readers. Misinformation and disinformation campaigns in the media challenge collective notions of ground truth. They also challenge the bedrock and meaning of an open internet, as most proposed solutions involve limiting speech.

To go beyond the session at RightsCon, you can read our report, From Broken Revenue Models to Embracing an “Open” Ethos, based on research with over 500 journalists from 18 different countries, and use our guide, A Journalist’s Guide to Creative Commons. Are you a journalist or part of a news organization? Get in touch with CC to hold a workshop on open journalism with your team.