United States of AI Ethical Policy - Our Work, Our Voice: Creative Rights in the Age of AI

A Civic Brief from Future in Common

Part of the series: The United States of AI: An Ethical Policy Platform for American Workers

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What This Brief Covers:

From artists and authors to coders and culture workers, the rise of AI is challenging what it means to create, own, and be recognized for our work. But creative labor is still labor—and our voices deserve protection.

This civic brief explores how generative AI is reshaping the cultural economy and what we must do to ensure creators keep their rights, royalties, and dignity.

What You’ll Learn:

• How AI is trained on creative work without consent or compensation
• Why copyright and labor law aren’t keeping up
• What a just future looks like for creators, storytellers, and cultural workers
• Actionable policies and protections for workers in the creative economy

Who It’s For:

• Creators, artists, and freelancers
• Workers in design, writing, media, and entertainment
• Policymakers, educators, and creative industry leaders
• Anyone concerned about fairness in the digital age

Why It Matters:

When AI systems profit from our voices but silence our rights, the future becomes less human. But with the right guardrails, we can build a digital economy where creativity is respected, workers are paid, and culture remains a force for justice and joy.

Download includes:

PDF of the full civic brief formatted for easy sharing.

License & Use

This brief is copyrighted © 2025 by Deion Lemelle / Future in Common.

The ideas are meant to be shared, adapted, and built upon.

Please do not republish the full document without permission.

You’re welcome to cite, quote, or use the concepts with attribution.