French National Assembly excludes AI copyright bill from parliamentary agenda

Tuesday 12 May 2026 - 12:30

A legislative proposal aimed at addressing the use of copyrighted content by artificial intelligence systems will not be included in the upcoming parliamentary agenda of the French National Assembly, marking a setback for supporters of stronger protections for creators.

The decision was taken during a conference of parliamentary group leaders, who chose not to schedule debate on the bill during a cross-party legislative session. The proposal, originally introduced in the Senate and passed unanimously in April, sought to establish a legal presumption that AI developers use online content when training their models.

Under the text, artificial intelligence companies would have been required to prove that they did not use protected works without authorization, a measure designed to rebalance power between content creators and technology firms.

The initiative was strongly supported by more than 80 cultural and media organizations, which argue that generative AI systems rely heavily on vast amounts of online material, often without proper compensation or consent.

However, the bill faced strong opposition from parts of the technology sector, which engaged in intensive lobbying efforts. Following these discussions, parliamentary leaders decided not to include the proposal in the current agenda.

The decision effectively delays the legislative process and raises uncertainty about the future of the text, especially given the already crowded parliamentary calendar ahead of the next presidential cycle.

Observers note that the outcome reflects ongoing tensions in France and across Europe over how to regulate artificial intelligence while protecting intellectual property rights and fostering technological innovation.