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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 i…

By the Truvace desk2 min read1 sourcePeer-reviewedTRV-2026-1868· cite & verify
Regulating Artificial Cultural Production. Comparing Cultural Policy Strategies in Light of the AI Revolution
BOU ELEC 3620 - Policy Analysis and Implementation - Module 06 - Instruments of Government Policy by Dave Barrows. CC BY 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

In brief

A study of Nordic policy documents asked how cultural policy strategies reflect on AI, and how national AI strategies deal with the cultural production sector. It compared both kinds of documents to see where the two policy areas meet.

The finding matters because the cultural sector has drawn heavy attention and controversy over AI, yet the policy response appears thin. The documents mostly say the issues are complex with pros and cons, and the authors argue that deeper practical, ideological and terminological challenges remain unmet.

Main points

  1. The study examines Nordic cultural policy strategies and general AI strategies, looking at how each handles AI and cultural production.
  2. Cultural workers fear job losses, rights-holders raise concerns, and cultural content used for AI training is not remunerated.
  3. The policy narratives mostly assert that AI issues are complex, with pros and cons, rather than setting out concrete responses.
  4. The authors conclude that updated policy documents are far from meeting the fundamental challenges AI poses to cultural policy.

The problem

Nordic cultural policy and national AI strategies have not thoroughly discussed AI and cultural production, leaving worker job fears, rights-holder concerns and unpaid use of content for AI training unaddressed.

The rundown

The research frames AI in culture as a field of concern, curiosity, speculation and media interest, with both utopian and dystopian views of its consequences. Within that, the cultural sector is described as one of the most controversial areas.

Two questions drive the analysis: how current and recent cultural policy strategies reflect on AI, and how far AI strategies address the cultural production sector. The answer is that neither side has dealt with the other in depth.

The conclusion points to practical, ideological and terminological challenges that policy documents have not yet resolved, suggesting that producing updated documents alone does not meet them.

Sources

  1. Peer-reviewedThe Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society2026-10-16

The debate