Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1540549
WE live in a world where artificial in- telligence is a reality. The technology has infiltrated every aspect of our life; from how we work, to how we relax, to how we study and communicate. Inevitably, AI has also infiltrated our art and that is why the president of the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) Maria Galea believes government should draw up a national policy which protects artists and their work from being misused by AI. Galea tells me a statement issued last week by the organisation she heads and union Solidarjetà, stems from concerns being raised by the community she represents. The statement called for broadcasters to discuss their increasing use of AI, in a way that an agreement can be met on how it can be used with- out posing a risk on Malta's creative workers. The statement came after a ONE TV programme has been making use of an AI-generated introduction sequence, while TVM similarly, launched Mal- ta's first virtual television presenter, in a programme created to educate the public about AI. "The instability already exists [within the creative industry]. That is why the fear is there. We are already having to deal with these issues, and here comes AI with a new problem," she says. The association president points to- wards the scraping of data by AI ma- chines, saying they are using artists' work without permission or reimburse- ment for their work. "We want a national plan that safe- guards artists' intellectual property (IP). The policy has to ensure the actual creation is protected, and is used in an ethical manner. It should also lay out how artists should be compensated if their work is used," she insists. Galea also said the creative industry includes individuals who are not artists per se. "We are not speaking only about art- ists, but the workers that make that art possible—producers, technicians, writers. There is a whole eco-system surrounding the artist, without which their work is not possible," she insists. I ask whether artists are not embrac- ing the new technology, only to end up complaining for being left behind in the future. Galea insists this is not the case. "There are artists who use AI, and have come up with spectacular work. We are not saying that work is not up to standard. But there is a collabora- tion, the artist's mind is stimulating the technology. There is a way to do things. It's one thing for the AI to just create something against a prompt, but it's another for the artist to make use of the AI as a tool," she says. She says appreciation of art has grown over the years in the country, but au- diences need to look at art "not only as an expression, but also an inspiration." 4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 OCTOBER 2025 INTERVIEW Maria Galea: 'Artists are having their work stolen, AI needs regulation' Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association President Maria Galea speaks on the need to regulate artificial intelligence to protect artists' livelihood, work and future. She talks to Karl Azzopardi about this challenging new frontier.