AI Policy

With the increased availability of AI tools for media alteration and creation, we as the VidUKon concom team (concom/we) see a necessity to formulate this policy regarding the use of AI tools in works submitted to and shown at VidUKon.

Too Long; Didn't Read (Quick Summary)

As a general rule, we do not welcome or celebrate AI-generated content – be it video or audio – in works shown at or submitted to VidUKon, and will enforce this policy by asking for removal of AI-generated clips or audio from submitted works, labelling or withdrawal of the work, or – in rare, contentious edge cases – by applying anything from a submission ban to either temporary or permanent exclusion from the con.

We understand that AI-generated media isn't always easy to spot, so our first assumption will usually be that AI-generated content was included accidentally. We expect all con attendees who learn about a case of this policy coming into effect to give the affected person the same benefit of the doubt.

We further understand that digital media tools are very often algorithm-driven without producing what is widely considered AI-generated media. This policy does not bar the use of algorithm-driven tools in general: if you're using them to slightly alter media that isn't itself generated by an algorithm, you're most likely fine. To understand more about what we mean exactly, please refer to the details below.

For any questions not answered by the contents of the rest of this page, contact us using the contact details in the footer of this page.

Our Reasons For This Policy

1) We do not feel comfortable with the way AI – specifically generative AI (GenAI), LLMs, agentic AI and related tools and technology – is being developed and made available for popular use at this time. We believe that currently, development and proliferation of GenAI tools are primarily driven by greed and interest in power, and predisposed to increasing inequity, exploitation, division and disinformation in global and local communities. We support calls for regulation and moderation of the technology's use in order to counteract the negative impact it has on the environment, global and local culture, the psyche of individuals, and the global pursuit of equity and fairness.

2) We have good reason to believe that a large part of our regular attendees share our discomfort with AI-generated media and would not be happy to see it become a standard feature in the con's programming. We are therefore acting in what we believe to be the interest of the community we organise this event for.

3) We do not feel that AI-generated media – in the context of this policy particularly video and audio – meets the core criteria of what we want to celebrate as the artform of vidding. While the technology used to create vids has changed dramatically over the years, we understand it at its core as a transformative craft that usually celebrates, at the very least acknowledges, its transformative nature. This means that the cultural context of a vid's source material, including the audio, is highly relevant to any vid, as it informs how the audience understands and relates to the vid. This in turn means that source material must be easily recognisable to people familiar with it. AI-generated media usually leaves no way to determine original sources, nor does it keep enough of them intact for an audience to perceive how they've been recontextualised. It exists completely separately from its source material's context, and the process of generation gives the user significantly less control over source selection or composition choices compared to traditional digital editing. As such, AI-generated media doesn't meet the criteria that we consider essential for a vid, and AI-generated media that lacks any cultural context beyond that doesn’t meet the criteria we consider essential for a vid’s source material.

AI-Generated Media vs. Algorithm-Driven Tools

On a practical note, we realise that digital media tools are by their nature usually algorithm-driven, and that the line between AI and other tools may not always be clear. We also understand that for some operations, such as audio track splitting or generating missing frames when slowing down a clip, AI tools offer end results whose level of quality and accessibility for photo- or audio-sensitive viewers far exceed what is otherwise available. Our policy therefore does not demand complete abstinence or a religious check of every filter in your vidding programme's library for a hint of GenAI. Instead, we ask that if you use algorithm-driven tools that generate video frames or effects, or that alter or enhance audio, you use it as a tool in a large toolbox rather than the primary method of putting together your work.

Policy Enforcement: Vidders

If you submit something that violates our policy, the consequences will likely be one of the following:

• If we notice the issue before the vid screens at the con, and it seems like something that could be fixed with a moderate amount of changes, we will ask you to rework the non-compliant parts. This could happen if, for example, you've used GenAI to prompt a clip and have used it in a vid that otherwise consists of non-generated clips.
• If we notice the issue before the vid screens at the con and the generated media is an essential part of the vid that cannot be removed without a complete rework, you'll likely be asked to withdraw your work. This could happen, for example, if you've created a vid for a non-visual (e.g. novel) source using primarily AI-generated clips, or if the song you chose is entirely AI-generated. We will evaluate on a case-by-case basis and are happy to support you if you choose to make extensive alterations to still show your vid; however, we do feel strongly that works that rely primarily on AI-generated media have no place at VidUKon, and will enforce our policy in that regard.
• If we don't notice beforehand and the vid screens at the con, your vid will not be removed for the duration of the con. However, it will receive a noticeable label that marks it as containing AI-generated content. We will not apply this label without speaking to you or without giving you a chance to withdraw your vid, or change it, if you wish to do so. We also won't apply this label unless we can say with certainty that your vid does in fact violate our policy. The labelling is not intended as a punishment; rather we believe that in the interest of maintaining a commonly agreed-upon baseline regarding the nature and appearance of vids, it is important to provide an easy way to distinguish between works that do rely on generated media vs. those that don't.
• We understand that it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify AI-generated media. To some degree, this is an additional challenge that all vidders face now when choosing materials, especially when trying to branch out to unfamiliar music, or when working with "stock footage" from places like YouTube. We understand that using AI-generated media can easily happen by accident. This means that if we do contact you about a possible policy violation, our baseline assumption will usually be that you simply didn't notice, and you will be as welcome at the con as you were before. That said, if your work repeatedly violates our policy, if you act highly uncooperatively while resolving a violation, or if we notice you trying to "sneak" AI-generated stuff past us, we reserve the right to impose anything from a submission ban to a temporary or even permanent con exclusion.

If you're unsure about how this policy impacts a tool you use or an idea that you have, you're always welcome to contact us to clarify if whatever you want to do is acceptable under our policy.

Policy Enforcement: VJs

We ask that as a VidUKon VJ, you spend some time to make sure that none of the vids you're including in your vidshow rely on AI-generated content. This is not meant to discourage you from seeking out vids from unknown-to-you sources – we are and remain in favor of VJs doing that. Rather, when including premieres, please make sure your vidders are aware of our AI policy, and when screening vids for selection, make sure to watch for AI-generated content. If you suspect that some may be present, please do a minimum amount of research into the matter – read the description of the vid, the comments, anything you can easily find that can help you confirm or deny your suspicion. (If, for example, the video was posted under the name "GenAIBobsBestWork", it is reasonable to assume that Bob has put AI-generated clips into it.)

Concom doesn't have the capacity to check all vids included in curated vidshows by default. This means that you are the only person who has the chance to screen vids closely for issues in the content before they are shown at the con. Just as with applying VidUKon's mandatory content notes, spotting and not including videos that use a noticeable amount of GenAI is your responsibility as a VidUKon VJ. That said, all VJing volunteers who contribute to VidUKon's programming are an essential and valued part of the con. We have no intention of making this policy a stumbling block or a cause for anxiety. If you're not sure about a particular vid that you really want to include, contact us before the con to take a quick look.

If you do end up including a vid that violates this policy, consequences will be similar to those outlined above for vidders: if we notice before it screens at the con, we'll ask you to take the vid out of the show; if we notice after, a label will be applied to it. If the vid in question is a premiere, any communication with the vidder will be up to you, just as it is with extensions and other coordinative communication for premieres in curated shows. We will always engage with you about these matters in good faith; however, if we notice that this isn't mutual, we reserve the right to impose stricter consequences.

Reporting Policy Violations

If you see something at the con that you think violates this policy, we ask that you do not engage with the attendee in question directly and instead get in touch with concom about it. We expect that you then respect concom's decision of how to handle the matter, and that you keep in mind that most violations are likely to have been accidental.

A Note on Panels

We believe critical discourse to be an important aspect of community building and so welcome discussions on the matter of GenAI. That said, if you're considering running a panel dealing with AI, please make sure to be informed of the broader community's sentiments regarding your chosen topic. Treat the topic with appropriate consideration, and be prepared to moderate a potentially contentious discussion. Please don't be offended if concom considers your panel suggestion with more scrutiny than others, shows a more noticeable presence during the panel, or suggests a concom co-moderator. We are not and don't want to be the AI cops. We do, however, have the responsibility to run an event that does not make anyone feel unwelcome, dismissed or disrespected – and it's not an AI event. We reserve the right to intervene if panel debate becomes too heated, and to turn down panel suggestions we consider too tangentially related to vidding and the vidding community to justify a spot in the schedule.

To be clear: discussion of AI, during panels or otherwise, is of course not banned or regulated beyond the boundaries of our Code of Conduct. We simply want to make sure they don't create a rift in a community interested in and practicing a craft that to the largest part doesn't have anything to do with GenAI.

Implication for All Attendees

With this policy, we’re essentially asking you to briefly reflect on the way you engage with vidding and how it intersects with the way you engage with GenAI (if you do). If you don't see any obvious conflicts between the results of your reflection and the policy we've outlined here, you're most likely fine! If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. If you work with GenAI outside of vidding, or even if you have shared video or audio that incorporates AI-generated media (if you are, for example, GenAIBob), you are still welcome at the con as long as you respect the rules that we've defined for the con's social space and content, which include this policy, and can be ok with the fact that this con does not consider works that incorporate AI-generated media to meet the con’s definition of a vid.