At the Centre on Knowledge Governance, we are working at the intersection of Copyright, the Right to Research and ‘Just AI’. We are looking for tools that can be used to ensure that researchers are able to use AI for public interest purposes, like health and education, whilst ensuring that the rights of creators and communities and custodians of traditional knowledge are respected. To that end we have developed a table which locates different policy approaches to IP and AI training data on a spectrum, starting with ‘full access’ for public interest research and ‘full protection’ for systems that can replicate or mimic works of entertainment, such as music and movies.
Here’s a second version of the graphic with a sliding scale to show that no use or purpose would imply one particular approach. Instead we envisage a sliding scale where different factors might together influence the tool or approach used.
This table proposing a Scale of Tools was developed with input from a group of African experts and policy makers at our Retreat on Copyright and Just AI at the Cradle of Humankind in South Africa in February 2026. It is still a work in progress.
It will be used as part of the curriculum during our upcoming Upskill Executive Education Course on IP and AI to be held in Geneva from 29-30 September 2026.
For more on ‘Just AI’, visit our Focus Area page on Copyright the Right to Research and Just AI.
You are free to use the graphic on your own site, as long as you attribute as us the source, and link back to our articles.
Do you have ideas or suggestions about our approach? Please reach out to us using our contact form.
