Publishing Industry Proposes 'AI Usage 3-Tier Labeling System'... "Securing Reader Trust and Copyright Protection"
The Korean Publishers Association held a 'Publishing & AI Policy Forum' on the 29th at the Mapo Central Library in Seoul under the theme "Beyond Crisis to Coexistence: The Path Forward for the Publishing Ecosystem in the AI Era," and proposed an 'AI Usage 3-Tier Labeling System' accordingly.
As concerns over copyright and credibility intensify in the publishing market due to the proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (AI), the domestic publishing industry has presented a voluntary standard for explicitly indicating AI usage information on books. The aim is to provide readers with transparent creative information while protecting copyrights of publications from indiscriminate data learning by AI.
Three-Tier Classification from 'Human-Created Works' to 'AI-Generated Publications'
According to the plan disclosed on the day, publications are classified into three tiers based on the degree of AI participation and control: ▲Tier 1 (Human-Created Works) ▲Tier 2 (AI-Assisted Works) ▲Tier 3 (AI-Generated Publications).
Tier 1 refers to cases where humans lead the creation and use AI only supplementarily for simple proofreading, with no special marking on the cover. Tier 2 consists of works completed by humans through sufficient verification and revision based on AI-generated output. In contrast, Tier 3, where no substantial human control or verification has been performed, is labeled as "publication" instead of "work" based on the judgment that copyright recognition is difficult.
Park Jung-in, a professor at Duksung Women's University's AI Dynalnfo Research Institute who delivered the keynote address, explained that "the classification criterion is not the ratio of AI-generated sentences, but whether humans can review and take responsibility for the final result."
"Enhancing Negotiating Power on Data"... Field Experts Propose Forming Coalition
The publishing industry expects this labeling system to serve as an opportunity to strengthen negotiating power in future discussions with AI developers on data usage. Kim Bo-gyeong, Policy Director of the Korean Publishers Association, evaluated that "through Tier 1 and 2 labeling, we can ensure the legitimate rights of authors and publishers, thereby establishing a basis for data usage contracts."
The panel discussion saw consecutive field-focused proposals. Hong Han-byul, a translator, emphasized that "in a situation where AI is applied across all work tools, what is important is not whether AI is used but whether responsibility for the final product is clearly stated," while Professor Jung Jin-geun of Kangwon National University's Graduate School of Law suggested that "forming a coalition among publishers is necessary to smoothly settle compensation fees resulting from AI learning."
Publishing Organizations Jointly Declare 'Principles of AI Usage'... Copyright and Compensation Specified
Meanwhile, the Korean Publishers Association jointly declared "Principles of AI Usage by Publishers and Authors for Readers" with major publishing organizations including the Korean Writers Association and the Korea Publishing Research Institute. The declaration specifies ▲transparent disclosure of AI usage history ▲denial of author status for AI ▲authors' right to demand fair compensation for AI learning.