The president of Spain’s largest association of newspaper publishers has warned that artificial intelligence must not be built on the unauthorised use of copyrighted material, arguing that the sector faces a decisive adjustment as the technology reshapes how news is created, distributed and consumed. Speaking at the opening of CLABE’s 20th Editors’ Congress in Logroño, Arsenio Escolar said publishers now face a new digital environment that demands adaptation if they are to remain viable.

According to CLABE, the association represents 225 business groups and around 1,500 titles across print and digital formats, ranging from specialist publications to niche outlets. Escolar said that diversity gives the organisation a broad view of the pressures on the Spanish media industry, which has already been forced to adapt to one major technological shift with the rise of the internet and now confronts a second, potentially more disruptive one with AI.

He also linked the spread of generative tools to the rise in misinformation, saying that AI systems can make it easier for manipulated images and false content to circulate as authentic. At the same time, he argued that human judgement remains irreplaceable, insisting that creativity and talent cannot be overtaken by machines.

The concerns echo wider debates in publishing and journalism. The Authors Guild and other industry groups have raised similar objections to AI models trained on protected works, while academic research and policy discussions have increasingly focused on how copyright, authorship and compensation should be handled in the age of machine-generated content. Spain has already moved to update its copyright framework in recent years, reflecting the country’s effort to balance digital innovation with protection for creators.

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Source: Noah Wire Services