As part of its application of the European « Media » audiovisual aid program, the European Commission has reportedly, without consulting stakeholders, public institutions or member states, taken the decision to prioritize support for audiovisual projects incorporating AI. The lack of transparency in the program’s distribution criteria has been denounced by the French ministry of culture among others. The MEDIA program is an aid program for the film and audiovisual sector managed by the European Commission’s DG Connect, and an executive agency for the allocation of funds. It receives no less than 58% of the funds allocated to the wider Europe Creative program, i.e., for 2024 alone, around 186 million euros. These substantial funds are distributed according to criteria established by DG Connect. The problem is that the sector has little visibility of the program’s priorities, due to a lack of clear and transparent communication…
