The Future Needs Creators | Björn Ulvaeus' AI for Good Keynote

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCXHkynYC-o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY-xLqxMkXY

Björn Ulvaeus: "Human creativity is not just expression. It is testimony. A life lived."

Creativity is what makes us human.

"AI can read every love poem ever written and describe the feeling of love more eloquently than any poet. But these are still just words. It’s the map, not the territory. The symbol, not the thing."

At CISAC's centenary General Assembly, [@bjornulvaeus](https://www.instagram.com/bjornulvaeus/) inspired the audience with a question that sits at the heart of today's conversations around AI and creativity:

Does the source of art matter?

Reflecting on the difference between human experience and machine-generated output, he argued that while AI may learn to imitate creativity, art remains something more than a collection of words, sounds, or patterns.

"Human creativity is not just expression. It is testimony. A life lived."

For creators around the world, that distinction matters. Behind every song, story, image, and performance is a person whose experiences, emotions, and perspective shape the work itself.

As CISAC marks 100 years of defending creators' rights, the conversation continues: how do we ensure that human creativity remains valued in a rapidly changing world?

https://www.instagram.com/p/DZKXqY-l3Tb/?img_index=1

 

París, Francia – 5 de junio de 2026 – La Confederación Internacional de Sociedades de Autores y Compositores (CISAC) inauguró ayer su Asamblea General de 2026 en París con un discurso de apertura de su Presidente y cofundador de ABBA, Björn Ulvaeus, centrado en el valor único de la creatividad humana, los desafíos que plantea la inteligencia artificial y el futuro de la autoría humana.

Vea aquí el discurso inaugural completo de Björn Ulvaeus.

Ulvaeus defendió que, aunque las herramientas de la IA son capaces de imitar la expresión humana, el valor de la creatividad humana está estrechamente vinculada a la experiencia vivida, algo que la tecnología no puede replicar.  

Al abordar los debates jurídicos y de políticas públicas relacionados con el entrenamiento de sistemas de IA, la transparencia y la protección de los derechos de autor, Björn Ulvaeus destacó la reciente decisión del Gobierno británico de abandonar su propuesta de introducir una excepción a los derechos de autor con un mecanismo de exclusión voluntaria (opt-out), tras la firme oposición de las industrias creativas. Asimismo, se refirió a los procedimientos judiciales actualmente en curso contra las empresas de IA generativa Suno y Udio por el uso no autorizado de música protegida para entrenar sus sistemas.

Al concluir su discurso, Ulvaeus reflexionó sobre el papel que desempeña la CISAC desde hace un siglo para defender a los creadores y garantizar que la creatividad humana siga siendo reconocida y valorada en el futuro.

«Desde hace un siglo, personas como las que hoy nos reunimos aquí hemos defendido con firmeza —tanto en el plano jurídico como en la práctica— que detrás de cada obra hay una persona real, identificable y merecedora de reconocimiento y remuneración» declaró.

Entre los demás ponentes que participaron en la Asamblea General de la CISAC de 2026 figuraron destacados creadores y líderes culturales de los repertorios de la música, el audiovisual, las artes visuales y el sector de la edición, junto con representantes de la OMPI, la Unión Africana, el Parlamento Europeo, Deezer y otras importantes instituciones culturales internacionales.

La jornada culminó con la presentación del Compromiso de París, una declaración impulsada por la CISAC que establece una serie de principios que instan a los gobiernos, las empresas tecnológicas y las industrias culturales a garantizar protección, reconocimiento y una remuneración justa para los creadores en la era de la IA.

Björn Ulvaeus, cofundador de ABBA y presidente de CISAC firmó el Compromiso sobre el escenario junto con otros incluido Jean-Michel Jarre, pionero de la música electrónica; la pintora británica Adelaide Damoah; el cantante, compositor y lord británico Kevin Brennan; y la artista visual francesa Rebecca Digne.

Creadores, organizaciones de gestión colectiva y aliados de todo el mundo están invitados a añadir sus nombres al Compromiso de París a través de una campaña pública de firmas: cisac.org/ElCompromisodeParis.

https://www.cisac.org/es/Sala-de-prensa/news-releases/bjorn-ulvaeus-cofundador-de-abba-y-presidente-de-la-cisac-inaugura-la

ABBA co-founder and CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus opens CISAC's centenary General Assembly with keynote speech about AI, creativity and the future of human expression

Summary

“Human creativity is not just expression. It is testimony. A life lived. The song is not just a product. It is evidence.”

CISAC_Björn_Ulvaeus_©_Romain_Moriceau_01.jpg

©Romain Moriceau

5 Jun 2026

Paris, France – 5 June 2026 – The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) opened its 2026 General Assembly in Paris yesterday with a keynote address from CISAC President and ABBA co-founder Björn Ulvaeus which explored the unique value of creativity, the threat of artificial intelligence and the future of human authorship.

Watch Björn Ulvaeus’ full opening speech here:

Ulvaeus argued that while AI tools have the capacity to imitate human expression, the value of human creativity is fundamentally tied to lived experience, something technology is unable to reproduce.  

Highlighting the legal and policy debates surrounding AI training practices, transparency and copyright protection, Ulvaeus referenced the UK government’s decision to abandon proposed AI copyright opt-out measures following strong opposition from the creative industries, as well as generative AI companies Suno and Udio’s ongoing landmark court cases focused on the unauthorised use of copyrighted music to train their systems.

Closing the address, Ulvaeus reflected on CISAC’s role over the past century in defending creators and ensuring that human authorship continues to be recognised and valued for the years ahead.

“People like us in this room have spent a century insisting — in legal and practical terms — that the person behind the work is real, identifiable, and owed something,” he said.

Other speakers throughout the 2026 CISAC General Assembly included creators and cultural leaders from across music, audiovisual, visual arts and publishing, alongside representatives from WIPO, the African Union, the European Parliament, Deezer and leading international cultural institutions.

The day notably concluded with the unveiling of The Paris Commitment – a CISAC declaration setting out a series of principles urging governments, technology companies and cultural industries to ensure human creators remain protected, recognised and fairly remunerated in the AI era.

The commitment was endorsed onstage by a group of creators including ABBA co-founder and CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus, Electronic pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre, British Painter Adelaide Damoah, Singer, Songwriter and UK Lord Kevin Brennan, French Visual Artist Rebecca Digne, among others.

Creators, rights organisations and supporters around the world are now invited to add their names to the Paris Commitment through a public signing campaign: cisac.org/pariscommitment.

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Teresa Parodi en Cisac

CISAC welcomes Teresa Parodi as Vice-President representing Latin America and the Caribbean.

An acclaimed Argentine singer-songwriter and cultural leader, Teresa has dedicated her career to championing culture, creativity, and the voices of creators.

Ms Parodi offers a rare combination of artistic authority, institutional leadership, and regional credibility. Her lifelong commitment to authors, performers, and cultural identity—together with her government-level policy experience and deep ties across Latin America—positions her strongly to advance CISAC’s priorities in the region, including strategic advocacy, legislative engagement, and strengthened collective management and creators’ rights.

We look forward to working with Teresa as she joins CISAC's leadership and helps advance the interests of creators across Latin America and the Caribbean and around the world.

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full video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4Vs8a1JuhU

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https://www.abc.es/cultura/arte/bjorn-ulvaeus-defiende-ia-herramienta-creativa-nuevos-20260605052425-nt.html

CISAC marks its 100th anniversary - Björn Ulveus

 CISAC marks its 100th anniversary with a landmark General Assembly in Paris on the 4th of June.

ABBA co-founder and CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus will open the event with a keynote address, setting the tone for discussions on the future of human creativity, the impact of technology, and the protection of creators’ rights.

Held at the Pavillon Cambon in Paris’ 1st arrondissement, in the Opéra district, the General Assembly will convene more than 300 participants from around the world.

The event is co-hosted by five French authors’ societies: ADAGP, La SAIF, LaScam, SACD and SACEM, representing a broad range of creative repertoires across visual arts, audiovisual, performing arts and music.

Discussions will focus on international cooperation, fair remuneration in the digital environment, and emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DX84Wt5l365/?img_index=5

CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus's opening keynote speech for Canada's National Summit on AI & Culture

 CISAC President and ABBA songwriter Björn Ulvaeus delivers a keynote speech on AI, copyright and creators’ rights for Canada’s National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture.

Hosted by the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and the Government of Canada on 16–17 March, the summit brought together leaders from the cultural sector, technology, government and academia to discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming the creative industries. Drawing on his experience as a songwriter, Ulvaeus warns that AI must not be built on the uncompensated use of human creativity. He calls for clear rules to ensure: • transparency about the works used to train AI systems • the ability for creators to license their works • fair remuneration when creative content is used

https://www.cisac.org/Newsroom/articles/cisac-president-bjorn-ulvaeus-calls-strong-creator-protections-canada-hosts-ai

COM26-0176 /

Source language: English / Written on: 16/03/2026

Document prepared by ULVAEUS Björn (CISAC President)

Opening address by Björn Ulvaeus at the National Summit on AI and Culture

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak to you all today at this National Summit on AI and Culture.

I'm sorry I can't be with you in Banff, but I wanted to speak to you because the work you're doing right now in Canada

and the choices you will make are so vitally important.

I am speaking today not just as an artist and a songwriter, but as president of CISAC, the largest global network of

creators, and as an avid Technology enthusiast.

Many of you will know ABBA songs, perhaps from the radio, from Mamma Mia, or from maybe experiencing ABBA

Voyage in London.

Those songs travel the world because copyright travelled with them.

The royalties that flowed back to Sweden allowed us to keep writing, to keep recording and to invest in new ideas.

Now, I am very conscious that my experience reflects a system working as it should.

For most creators, royalties mean stability, the ability to pay rent, support families and continue making art.

So why am I here speaking to you today?

Because Canada stands at the defining moment.

The choices made here in legislation, in regulation, in the frameworks you design for artificial intelligence will

ultimately shape how human creativity is valued in the age of machines.

We have already seen how consequential these policy choices can be.

In Australia, lawmakers considered a text and data mining exception that would have permitted AI developers to use

creative works without permission or payment.

The response from creators and rights organisations was swift and united.

Progress cannot depend on the uncompensated use of human creativity.

Canada now faces similar questions.

In November, I had a meeting with Prime Minister Carney.

I shared with him my own experiences and how copyright protections have enabled my career.

I also let him know that creators are not afraid of AI.

Opening address by Björn Ulvaeus at the National Summit on AI and Culture. Canada

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In fact, like me, many are working right now with the different forms of this technology and are embracing the

possibilities it brings.

But they are afraid, and quite rightly so, of losing their rights and losing their income through the unauthorised use of

their works.

I'm delighted to see that SOCAN's recent campaign, Say No to AI Training or Unlicensed Music, has over 6000

signatures from a raft of songwriters and composers.

These are 6000 artists who are speaking for many thousands more, who all refuse to let AI companies use their works

for free and without permission.

They are right, there's a lot at stake.

CISAC's global economic study on AI that I helped launch a year ago showed that in just two years time, up to 24% of

music creators revenues could be at risk.

24% is a lot.

It means a loss of billions of dollars.

But these are not just abstract numbers.

They represent livelihoods, careers, and the future of our creative industries.

They mean a lot to our culture, our cultural heritage, the heritage that the existing generation of creators are creating

now for our future.

If we want human creativity to thrive in the age of artificial intelligence, we must ensure strong protections for

creators.

Strong protections mean not only making sure that rights are in place, but also resisting broad text and data mining

exceptions that allow works to be used without permission or payment.

When creators are protected, they can continue producing the amusing and cultural works for which Canada is

respected around the world.

The alternative is a dangerous path.

It removes the creator's fundamental right to negotiate for the use of their work.

It weakens their ability to earn a living from their talent.

And it places at risk the rich diversity of cultural expression that defines this country, from Indigenous traditions to

many languages and stories that form Canada's national heritage.

The narrative driven by profit seeking tech companies that innovation and copyright cannot coexist, is simply untrue.

We've heard this argument many times before with previous technologies.

Protecting creators rights in no way means trying to stop the advance of technology.

On the contrary, it means embracing and licencing AI tools in a safe legal environment that removes ambiguity.

To do this, we have 3 asks, specifically that:

1. AI training must be subject to clear transparency rules

Opening address by Björn Ulvaeus at the National Summit on AI and Culture. Canada

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2. creators must be able to licence their own works

3. and that remuneration of those creators must be guaranteed.

This is not just about well-known artists, songwriters and composers such as myself.

It's about protecting the next generation of songwriters and composers who will take on the mantle of representing

Canada's voice on the global stage.

It's about protecting the vast majority of creators who rely on the lifeblood of royalties that support their careers in

sustained cultural output.

And it's about protecting cultural identity that remains at the heart of the creative sector.

But also this is not just a cultural decision, it's an economic one as well.

Canada's creative industries are a major economic driver.

In 2024, Canada's cultural sector contributed 65 billion in direct GDP.

This discussion extends beyond established artists like me.

It also concerns emerging Canadian creators, songwriters, screenwriters, composers and visual artist who will shape

the country's cultural identity in the decades ahead.

They deserve an environment in which technological innovation and artistic creation develop together.

Canada has the opportunity to shape a framework grounded in fairness, partnership and respect for creative work.

Copyright has long provided a structure that enables creators to build lasting careers, to contribute to culture, and to

be at the heart of a successful creative economy.

With careful policy design, it will continue to do so in the age of artificial intelligence.

Thank you so much for listening.