Make It Fair
Against AI technology, or just against UNFAIR technology?
If you have been paying attention to the news over the last few days then you might have heard a reference to the ‘Make It Fair’ campaign. If you are unsure where you sit on this issue, or even what it is all about, then read on…
The ‘Make It Fair’ campaign, launched by Owen Meredith, CEO of News Media Association, is ringing alarm bells across the creative world, shining a spotlight on the ways AI is reshaping the billion pound industry. The campaign isn’t against AI technology, more against the unfair use of AI technology, plagiarising the efforts of hard working creatives. The campaign states:
“MAKE IT FAIR: The government wants to change the UK's laws to favour big tech platforms so they can use British creative content to power their AI models without our permission or payment. Let's protect the creative industries – it's only fair.”
I don’t really use AI in my business or personal life. A lover of words, I would rather type a query into Google (yes, I appreciate the irony!) than I would ask Siri or Alexa for help several times before obtaining a satisfactory response. I am aware, however, that AI infiltrates lots of processes around me and is growing at an alarming rate - experts predict, that AI will be used by everyone on a regular basis within three years.
AI doesn’t exist in a vacuum though, it learns from existing examples, often duplicating or mimicking work without permission. If AI relies on the historical work of millions of creative worker bees, where is the kudos and financial reward for their endeavours? That’s where the “fairness” question comes in.
In addition to fairness, there is the risk of dependence. If AI can generate pictures with a single prompt, will fewer people pick up a paintbrush? If AI can generate a fictional novel in a matter of moments, will fewer authors tap out text? Will creatives then slowly lose their skill to create freehand because the temptation to “let the AI do the heavy lifting” is too strong? I certainly don’t want my industry to become one where originality is eroded in favor of quick, automated solutions.
Further still, there is the subject of money. If AI-generated work floods the market, it could drive down the perceived value of human-made work. For example, if people can get a perfect digital pet portrait in seconds, why wait weeks for a hand-painted one? That’s the challenge many artists are already facing with digital art, and it’s why the Make It Fair campaign is crucial. Artists - painters, illustrators, musicians, writers - deserve fair protection, proper credit, and sustainable careers.
Not everyone is against AI. I know from my own connections on social media platforms that some artists see AI as a new kind of paintbrush, a tool to enhance their work rather than replace it. Maybe AI can help generate fresh ideas, speed up brainstorming, or even assist with tedious tasks like background rendering? Surely, it all comes down to how AI is used. If we approach AI as a tool rather than a crutch, we might find exciting ways to integrate it into our work, but if we let it overshadow human creativity, our quirks, imperfections, and irreplaceable artistic voices, we risk losing something truly special.
Personally, I am not against technology. I’m against UNFAIR technology—tools that take without giving back, devalue artists’ skills, or strip away the individuality that makes art so powerful. The Make It Fair campaign is about ensuring artists have a say in how AI is used, protecting creative livelihoods, and making sure technology supports rather than steals. So, it is up to all of us, artists, art lovers, and even teeny-tiny pet portraitists like me to push for fairness, celebrate human creativity, and make sure AI is an ally, not an adversary.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a very patient Labrador waiting to have his ears scratched, no AI required.
With love, VB x