SOCAN was present in full force at the Government of Canada’s National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture, on March 16-17, 2026, in Banff, Alberta, to strongly advocate for no new copyright exceptions that would permit free, unauthorized use of copyright-protected works for AI training.
The gathering occurred against the backdrop of SOCAN’s ongoing “no exceptions” campaign, which has received overwhelming support, with more than 8,600 signatories to date. The campaign follows an announcement by the Government of Australia that they would protect Australian creators by ruling out a copyright exception for AI training. In response, SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown and Dean Ormston, CEO of Australian music rights organization APRA AMCOS, released a joint statement on creative industries and AI.
Attending the Summit on the behalf of the Government of Canada were the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, the Honourable Evan Solomon, and the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, the Honourable Marc Miller.
The event was organized around three key themes: Build, Protect, and Empower. SOCAN’s Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel Andrea Kokonis delivered keynote remarks during the “Protect” segment, with Marie-Julie Desrochers of the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE). They both emphasized that AI development must respect the principles of Authorization, Remuneration, and Transparency (ART).
Said Kokonis, “Technological innovation must never serve as a pretext for weakening protections for creators, themselves innovators, despite the pressure coming from parts of the technology sector. Protecting the diversity of cultural expressions and fostering innovation are not contradictory goals. On the contrary, a sovereign Canadian AI ecosystem that values human creativity is entirely possible – and that is precisely what we must work together to build.”
In a recorded opening keynote speech, CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus urged policymakers to ensure that the rapid development of AI strengthens, rather than undermines, the rights of creators. Ulvaeus said, “The choices made in legislation and regulation today will shape how human creativity is valued in the age of machines.”
At the end of the Summit, Minister Miller and Minister Solomon announced that an AI and Culture Advisory Council would be created, composed of 12 members from both the creative and tech industries, who would provide recommendations to the Government of Canada twice a year.
SOCAN will continue to advocate for the interests of music creators and publishers in addressing generative AI.