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🇫🇮 Finland /Health & Science

Professors: National AI Rules Threaten Research Needs

From Helsingin Sanomat · (6m ago) Finnish

Translated from Finnish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Finnish professors argue against national AI regulation that could hinder research, advocating for EU-level harmonization.
  • They express concern that overly strict national rules, potentially preceding EU directives, could increase research costs and limit AI model choices.
  • The professors emphasize strengthening existing EU provisions for beneficial research use rather than creating potentially conflicting national regulations.

A group of Finnish professors, writing in Helsingin Sanomat, are sounding a crucial alarm regarding the regulation of artificial intelligence, particularly concerning its use in research. Their opinion piece directly addresses concerns raised by industry figures like Valtteri Niiranen of Kopiosto, who advocate for swift national legislation to protect creative rights. However, the professors, including Leo Lahtinen, Taina Pihlajarinne, and Eetu Mäkelä, argue that such national efforts risk outpacing and potentially undermining necessary research freedoms.

Tutkimusyhteisön edustajina tahdomme ilmaista tälle tukemme.

— Leo Lahtinen, Taina Pihlajarinne, Eetu MäkeläThe professors express their support for the stance that national regulation should not impede research needs.

Their core argument centers on the potential negative impacts of national-level regulations on scientific inquiry. They highlight that existing EU copyright law already includes provisions for text and data mining for research purposes, and that imposing additional national restrictions could create insurmountable costs through contract licenses. This, they fear, would not only complicate the selection of AI models but also shift decision-making power away from the research community, thereby eroding scientific autonomy.

Tekoälyn kouluttamista tutkimustarkoituksessa koskee pakottava EU:n tekijänoikeusrajoitus, jota ei voida ohittaa.

— Leo Lahtinen, Taina Pihlajarinne, Eetu MäkeläThey state that EU copyright law already mandates exceptions for AI training for research purposes.

From a Finnish perspective, which has invested significantly in digital research infrastructure, this debate is critical. The professors stress that Finland's position as a leader in AI research could be jeopardized by fragmented or overly restrictive national policies. They advocate for a unified EU approach, urging that national efforts should focus on reinforcing the beneficial research exceptions already present in EU law, rather than creating new barriers. This stance reflects a broader concern within the Finnish academic and scientific communities about maintaining international competitiveness and upholding the principles of open scientific exploration in the rapidly evolving field of AI.

Yleisemmin sopimuslisenssit nostaisivat tutkimuskuluja kestämättömästi, vaikuttaisivat tekoälymallien valintaan ja siirtäisivät päätösvaltaa tutkimusyhteisön ulkopuolelle kaventaen tieteen vapautta.

— Leo Lahtinen, Taina Pihlajarinne, Eetu MäkeläThe professors warn that contract licenses could make research prohibitively expensive and limit scientific freedom.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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