WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04) and Congressman Nathaniel Moran (TX-01) introduced a bipartisan bill to help musicians, artists, writers, and other creators determine if their copyrighted work was used to train generative artificial intelligence (AI) models without their permission. The Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act gives copyright holders access to training records used for AI models to determine if their work was used.
Currently, there is no process to determine if generative AI models use an artist’s work — without consent or compensation — to train its system. The TRAIN Act is modeled after the legal process for internet piracy. As AI rapidly evolves, this bipartisan legislation would enable creators to access training records used for AI models. Few AI companies currently share how their models are trained and nothing in the law requires them to do so.
U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Adam Schiff (D-Ca.), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) reintroduced the TRAIN Act in the Senate; this is the first time that the TRAIN Act is introduced in the House.
“As AI rapidly evolves and becomes more present in our lives, our laws must catch up — that includes preserving the dignity of artists and the authenticity of their work,” Rep. Dean said. “There is no path for creators to know if their work has been used — without their permission and without compensation — to train AI models. The TRAIN Act would grant artists access to such AI records. I’m grateful to Congressman Moran, our colleagues in the Senate, and creative partners for their work on this bipartisan legislation.”
“Artificial intelligence should be embraced as a powerful engine of creativity and innovation for the American people. It expands opportunity, drives progress, and strengthens American leadership,” Rep. Moran said. “Transparency is essential to ensuring innovation is built on integrity and respect for original work. AI is a rapidly evolving and promising frontier, and we must advance it responsibly by protecting American creators while encouraging technologies that reward creativity, collaboration, and proper attribution. I appreciate the partnership of Representative Madeleine Dean, our Senate co-leads, and the artists and creators who advocated for this legislation and helped shape its final form.”
“This is simple: if your work is used to train AI, there should be a way for you, the copyright holder, to determine that it’s been used by a training model, and you should get compensated if it was. We need to give America’s musicians, artists, and creators a tool to find out when AI companies are using their work to train models without artists’ permission,” Senator Welch said. “As AI evolves and gets more embedded into our daily lives, we need to set a higher standard for transparency. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to safeguard creators and their incredible contributions to our country.”
The TRAIN Act is endorsed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); SAG-AFTRA; Recording Academy; Human Artistry Campaign; Actors’ Equity Association; American Association of Independent Music (A2IM); American Federation of Musicians; BMI; Copyright Clearance Center (CCC); Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE); Global Music Rights (GMR); International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States (IATSE); Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI); and International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM).
"RIAA applauds Representatives Dean and Moran for their leadership on the bipartisan, bicameral TRAIN Act. This commonsense legislation ensures that artists and rights holders have meaningful access to the courts when their work is copied for AI training without authorization or consent. We urge both houses of Congress to move forward with this important bill,” Mitch Glazier, RIAA Chairman & CEO said.
“SAG-AFTRA commends Reps. Dean and Moran for leading with clarity and courage at a pivotal moment for creativity. Transparency is not a barrier to progress; it’s a bridge that ensures A.I. advances alongside the artists and workers whose creativity powers our culture. This legislation is a vital step toward protecting intellectual property, human authorship and the future of creative work in the A.I. era,” Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator said.
“The TRAIN Act would empower creators with an important tool to ensure transparency and prevent the misuse of their copyrighted works. The Recording Academy® applauds Representatives Dean and Moran for their leadership and commitment to protecting human creators and creativity,” Todd Dupler, Recording Academy Chief Advocacy & Public Policy Officer said.
“The Transparency & Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act is an important step forward towards an effective AI regulatory regime that respects creators’ rights. Transparency is a key tenet of the Human Artistry Campaign’s principles for responsible and ethical AI, and we’re grateful to Representatives Dean and Moran for leading on this issue. By creating a pathway for artists and rightsholders to learn what inputs are used by AI programs, the TRAIN Act will increase transparency and allow effective recourse for creative works that have been used without consent,” Dr. Moiya McTier, Human Artistry Campaign said.
"Generative AI is already disrupting the independent music sector, yet music creators have no actionable way of knowing which models are built off their intellectual property. The TRAIN Act would fill that void in the regulatory landscape and serve as a pathway for A2IM members to enforce their rights. We commend Representatives Dean and Moran for their leadership.” Ian Harrison, CEO, American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) said.
“It is essential that all artists know when our work is used for machine learning. We must have the ability to protect our livelihoods. The TRAIN act will end the guessing game and create transparency where it is desperately needed. Thank you, Reps. Dean and Moran for standing with working musicians,” Tino Gagliardi, President, American Federation of Musicians said.
“Transparency promotes the development of reliable, ethical, and trustworthy AI systems. Unfortunately, it is exceedingly difficult for copyright owners and artists to know if and how AI systems have used their work for training purposes. The TRAIN Act would provide a path to information sharing without the need to resort to infringement lawsuits. That transparency will serve as a lynchpin promoting both responsible AI technology and the enduring success of the American creative economy,” Tracey Armstrong, CEO, Copyright Clearance Center said.
“Transparency, equity and the protection of creators’ rights form the very foundation of everything we do at Global Music Rights. We thank Reps. Dean and Moran for championing those same values by introducing the TRAIN Act, which will give human creators the tools to peel back the curtain of AI model training and create a much-needed level of accountability for AI companies. In the rapidly evolving landscape of the music industry, human creators should not only be properly compensated - they must have autonomy. And this legislation is a critical step toward safeguarding those essential rights,” Emio Zizza, General Counsel at Global Music Rights said.
“The professional crews that power film and television production depend on the development of AI tools that respect and pay for human creativity. Transparency efforts like the TRAIN Act mark a first, but absolutely critical, step towards ensuring that the production workforce continues to benefit from how their labor is used in the marketplace,” Matthew D. Loeb, International President IATSE said.
“Human authors and their copyrights must be valued and protected, which is impossible without proof of what data AI models are using to train and where that data comes from. The TRAIN Act will create much-needed transparency around Generative Artificial Intelligence that, unchecked, threatens the livelihoods of human creators. We are appreciative to Reps. Dean and Moran for their leadership on this issue and look forward to providing America’s songwriters the tools they need to protect their work in an ever-changing digital environment,” the Nashville Songwriters Association International said.
“AI technologies present scientists and publishers with new tools to enhance discoveries, maintain the integrity of the scientific record, and accelerate breakthroughs. Scientific knowledge, however, requires a lineage — a traceable history shaped by human discovery, transparent analysis, replicability, and rigorous editorial review. AI-generated misinformation and large-scale manipulation jeopardize responsible AI’s potential use as a tool for scientific progress. The TRAIN Act supports the development of useful and accountable AI technology by creating mechanisms for transparency. STM supports the work of Reps. Dean and Moran – as well as Senators Welch, Blackburn, Hawley, and Schiff – to promote the development of safe and accountable AI technology,” Dr. Caroline Sutton, CEO, International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM) said.
Congresswoman Dean has been a leader in Congress for AI regulation. Last year, President Trump signed her TAKE IT DOWN Act into law — becoming the first federal legislation to address AI by requiring social media platforms to remove real and AI-generated non-consensual intimate imagery.
Read the full text of the TRAIN Act here.
Rep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.
