More than 400 British musicians, writers and artists are calling on the government to update copyright laws in a way that protects human creators from artificial intelligence (AI), reports the BBC.
A letter signed by artists including Coldplay, Sir Elton John, Dua Lipa, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ian McKellan urges Prime Minister Keir Starmer to back an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill that would require developers to be transparent with copyright owners about using their material to train AI models.
The text emphasises that the artists are not seeking to quash this developing technology, merely to see it rolled out in a way that respects established copyright law and the “moral authority” they have over their work. They say this can be achieved if the government backs an amendment proposed by Baroness Beeban Kidron ahead of a key vote, scheduled for today in the House of Lords – the UK legislature’s upper chamber.
MPs recently rejected a separate amendment from Baroness Kidron which aimed to make AI developers accountable to UK copyright law. The new amendment entails transparency obligations that she claims could support the development of licensing agreements between creators and AI companies.
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“The UK is in a unique position to take its place as a global player in the international AI supply chain, but to grasp that opportunity requires the transparency provided for in my amendments, which are essential to create a vibrant licensing market,” Baroness Kidron told the BBC. The artists’ letter notes that many companies, including those who use and develop AI, have joined their side of the debate.
Others are less convinced. Such proposals will only hurt the British economy as they “do nothing to stop foreign firms from using content from the British creative industries,” Julia Willemyns, co-founder of the Centre for British Progress think tank, told the BBC. “A restrictive copyright regime would offshore AI development, chill domestic innovation, and directly harm the UK economy.”
However, as the artists’ letter points out, some 2.4 million people in the UK rely on copyrighted work to make their living, and their creative works play a pivotal role in the economy and culture.
“We are wealth creators, we reflect and promote the national stories, we are the innovators of the future, and AI needs us as much as it needs energy and computer skills,” they write. “Supporting us supports the creators of the future. Our work is not yours to give away.”
