Your feed picks the next song. ChatGPT picks the next book. Your streaming service already knows your next series. But the AI behind this easy discovery keeps pushing what is already popular. European artists warn that newcomers and minority-language voices are getting lost.
AI recommendations increasingly shape what we read, watch, and listen to. These systems use data about our preferences, behaviour, or even other users’ interests to suggest what we might enjoy next. But the way they decide what deserves our attention is still very opaque. European artists warn that AI recommendations make the fight for attention harder, particularly for emerging artists.
A recent European Commission study connected the availability and visibility of European cultural works to opaque recommendation algorithms, language barriers, and digital platforms’ tendency to amplify mainstream content. Similarly, a study examining book recommendations in Danish public libraries found that authors from less popular nationalities received up to 40 per cent less exposure.
Moreover, a study of ChatGPT’s book and music recommendations reached a similar conclusion. The chatbot leaned towards popular titles and rarely suggested lesser-known works.
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To understand what this means for Europe’s creative sectors, EU Perspectives spoke with representatives from Culture Action Europe, the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA), and the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF). Their concerns go beyond what algorithms recommend. They worry about the growing volume of AI content competing with human creators, the lack of algorithm transparency, and the concentration of power among big digital platforms.
Not seen, not heard
“Currently, it is hard to quantify the direct impact that AI is having on discoverability, mostly due to the lack of transparency of streaming services,” Marc du Moulin, secretary general of ECSA, told EU Perspectives. But the effect is there.
Rhys Nugent, advocacy officer at Culture Action Europe, says AI recommendations are already affecting cultural and linguistic diversity. According to Mr Nugent, minority-language artists and those working in experimental fields are disproportionately impacted, as the systems “reinforce what is already dominant while undermining cultural diversity”. That goes beyond AI chatbots. Streaming, social media, and online bookshops have long shaped what audiences encounter.
Still, there are bright spots. Lorenzo Dall’Omo, policy and advocacy officer at EIBF, points to BookTok, the book community on TikTok, as an example. “Book influencers and viral trends have brought many books to the forefront, introducing new readers to authors and titles they might otherwise never have encountered,” he told EU Perspectives.
Bestsellers in the fast lane
However, the same mechanisms can reinforce inequalities. “Recommendation algorithms tend to prioritise personalisation, engagement and content that quickly captures users’ attention,” Mr Dall’Omo explained. As a result, established authors and bestsellers may gain even greater exposure. Meanwhile, debut writers, independent publishers, and authors from smaller linguistic communities struggle to break through. Mr Dall’Omo warns that this can be particularly problematic for already underrepresented communities. This includes BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors and readers.
The risk is not necessarily that these books disappear, but that they become less visible in an increasingly algorithm-driven environment. — Lorenzo Dall’Omo, policy and advocacy officer at EIBF
“The risk is not necessarily that these books disappear, but that they become less visible in an increasingly algorithm-driven environment,” he said. For Mr Dall’Omo, human curation can build on popular trends to introduce readers to lesser-known authors and overlooked artists.
Similar concerns exist in the music industry. Mr du Moulin shared complaints from members in Finland after a major streaming platform moved its local playlist editing outside the country. Consequently, the platform featured fewer Finnish artists, favouring more mainstream international songs. “AI definitely presents further risk to diversity and visibility of local repertoire, but these reports indicate that the issue of diversity in recommendations has been present even in the case of curated playlists,” Mr du Moulin said.
Human artists made invisible
Beyond deciding what audiences discover, AI is also the competition itself. The issue caught public attention when The Velvet Sundown appeared on Spotify in June 2025. It attracted more than a million monthly listeners within weeks. But the musicians did not exist. The band, promotional images, and backstory were all AI-generated. And it is far from an isolated case.
Mr du Moulin points to figures from French streaming platform Deezer, which reported in July that around 90k AI tracks were uploaded daily. They account for more than half of daily uploads, but only 1–3 per cent of listening. Mr du Moulin warns that AI is financially competing with human composers at a time when musicians receive less than 10 per cent of total streaming revenues.
“AI-generated music, often unlabelled, not only competes against human authors for attention but also dilutes the finite royalty pool for all rightsholders,” he told EU Perspectives. He gave the example of background and functional music, such as tracks played for studying or working. AI-generated alternatives are increasingly replacing them. Under the revenue distribution models of major streaming services, these tracks can compete for royalties alongside songs by human artists.
Crowded bookshelves
The publishing sector is facing a similar flood of AI content. The number of newly published e-books on Amazon increased from around 100k per month before ChatGPT to approximately 300k by the end of 2025.
Mr Dall’Omo points to similar developments in European markets. In the Netherlands, book distributor CB reported an increase in purchases and print-on-demand titles. Nevertheless, the number of titles physically held in stock has remained relatively stable since 2021. In Germany, around 151k more ISBNs (International Standard Book Numbers) were assigned in 2025 than in 2022. This represents a 16.2 per cent increase.
However, the advocacy officer cautions that it is not yet possible to determine how much of this growth comes from AI. “The challenge is then no longer simply getting a book published, but ensuring that readers can find it and that professionally produced, meaningful content does not get lost in an increasingly crowded marketplace,” Mr Dall’Omo said. For EIBF, the response includes maintaining human curation, improving catalogue information, and helping readers navigate different types of publications.
Money, money, money
Long before the AI boom, artists were already fighting over streaming revenues and the concentration of power among major platforms. Now, AI has added another challenge: who gets paid when their work is used to train AI systems, and who has the bargaining power to negotiate?
Mr du Moulin points to the deal between Suno and Warner Music as an example of this imbalance. The agreement settled a copyright lawsuit between the companies and established a partnership to develop licensed AI music-generation tools. It allows Warner’s artists and songwriters to opt in to having their voices, likenesses, and compositions used to generate AI music. The companies promise new revenue opportunities.
While the deal opens the door to compensation, Mr du Moulin warns that smaller players may not have the resources to negotiate similar terms. He also fears such deals could favour recording rights over the rights of songwriters and composers.
Songwriters and composers are not against AI. However, AI services must pay their fair share and respect the principles of authorisation, remuneration, and transparency. — Marc du Moulin, secretary general of ECSA
“Deals between large rightsholders and AI companies risk boosting the existing catalogue of the major rightsholders, threatening to increase market concentration and penalising smaller and independent authors and other right holders who may not be able to license their music on similar terms,” he said. “Songwriters and composers are not against AI. However, AI services must pay their fair share and respect the principles of authorisation, remuneration, and transparency.”
What creators ask for
ECSA is calling for stronger licensing mechanisms, disclosure of copyrighted works used by AI systems, and measures to tackle fraudulent streaming and inaccurate music metadata. The European Parliament addressed some of these concerns in March, when it adopted a non-binding resolution calling for greater transparency, fair remuneration, and new licensing rules for AI companies.
But for Culture Action Europe, protecting creators also means investing in their work. Its ongoing Ask, Pay, Trust campaign calls for artists to be involved in policymaking, fairly remunerated, and supported through public cultural funding. In this context, Mr Nugent worries about a proposal to cut funding for AgoraEU in the EU’s next long-term budget. The programme is dedicated to culture, media, and civil society. There have been discussions of a 30 per cent cut, from €8.6bn to €6bn.
Opening the black box
Across Europe’s cultural sector, artists worry about how they can reach new audiences, compete with established human names, AI content, and powerful digital platforms. From booksellers and composers to cultural organisations, the sector looks to Brussels for answers. They demand more transparency, fairer competition, and stronger protection for Europe’s cultural diversity.
The EU already has some tools. Under the Digital Services Act, online platforms must explain the main parameters behind their recommendation systems. Very large online platforms, those with more than 45m monthly users in the EU, must also offer an option that does not rely on profiling users. These include Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
But knowing why something is recommended does not necessarily ensure cultural diversity. EIBF makes clear that it does not want Brussels to dictate what people should read. Instead, it calls for greater transparency about whether recommendations are driven by popularity, commercial interests, or personalisation. Mr Dall’Omo also believes in measures to protect smaller publishers and booksellers, improve catalogue information, and identify AI-generated publications, potentially through labelling.
Beyond transparency
Musicians see copyright as a priority. Mr du Moulin wants AI companies to disclose which copyrighted works they have used and obtain licences that fairly remunerate creators. Crucially, ECSA wants to reverse the burden of proof. Instead of requiring artists to prove that an AI company has used their work without permission, the company would have to demonstrate that it did not. The organisation also calls for measures against AI-powered streaming fraud and better music metadata to ensure royalties reach the right people.
Meanwhile, Culture Action Europe wants artists involved in developing and governing AI. They call for a human-centred approach that protects cultural rights and creativity while helping the sector adapt. Mr Nugent sees an opportunity in the European Commission’s upcoming AI strategy for the cultural and creative sectors, expected in early 2027. It aims to support innovation while protecting European creativity and cultural and linguistic diversity. “We believe the upcoming AI strategy for the cultural and creative sectors is the perfect opportunity to place these values into action when it comes to the discoverability of cultural content both online and offline,” Mr Nugent said.
But the sector is not standing still. Some platforms are also responding. Deezer has excluded AI music from its recommendations. It also plans to let listeners filter it out of search results before the end of 2026.
For Mr Dall’Omo, technology is not the enemy. The goal should not be to replace algorithms with rigid rules about what audiences can discover. “Ultimately, the objective should not be to use AI to make everyone discover the same books more efficiently, but to use technology in ways that allow readers to discover a wider diversity of books, authors and ideas,” he said.
Source: euperspectives.eu
