Appeal to the Ministry of Culture: Without access to data, Europe will not be competitive in the AI race
Without real access to data, the development of artificial intelligence in Europe will slow down, and its economy will lose competitiveness against global leaders. This is why the Digital Poland Association submitted its position to the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as part of the review of the copyright directive, highlighting the key role of Text and Data Mining (TDM) provisions for the future of innovation in the EU.
In the organization’s view, the ability to analyze large datasets is now the foundation of AI development. It is access to data that determines where new models, technologies, and competitive advantages are created. Limiting these capabilities in Europe would pose a real risk of losing its position in the global market, as stated in the letter submitted to Minister of Culture Marta Cienkowska.
The Digital Poland Association emphasizes that the current TDM regulations represent a well-balanced compromise between protecting creators’ rights and supporting innovation. According to industry experts, maintaining these provisions is crucial for both scientific and commercial purposes. The opt-out mechanism, which allows rights holders to exclude their content from AI use, is working effectively — particularly thanks to machine-readable standards that enable its practical application in the digital environment.
In its position, the Digital Poland Association also highlights domestic challenges that are already limiting the pace of AI development in Poland. These include delays in implementing EU regulations and the low level of AI adoption among companies — currently at 3.7% compared to the EU average of 8%. Additional issues include financial constraints faced by cultural institutions and the lack of a coherent, long-term digitalization strategy.
At the same time, as the organization’s experts point out, Poland has real potential for the development of data-driven technologies, as demonstrated by examples of AI applications in the cultural sector — from heritage digitization projects and museum chatbots to tools improving accessibility of resources for audiences.
“Stable and predictable legal frameworks for TDM are today one of the key conditions for the development of the digital economy in Europe. Without them, it will be difficult not only to build innovation, but also to compete effectively with markets that are already fully leveraging the potential of data and artificial intelligence,” says Michał Kanownik.