Showdown looms over AI's 'most important questions of our time'
Creatives call on government to reinforce copyright laws in the era of generative AI
WHAT’S HAPPENED?
HUNDREDS OF LEADING creatives including Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney are calling on the UK prime minister to support proposals that would protect copyright in the era of generative AI. In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer the signatories — the list resembles a Who’s Who of the media and entertainment industry — call on the government to back amendments bolstering existing copyright laws, forcing AI developers to reveal which copyrighted works have been used for model training.
The amendments have been tabled by creatives’ champion Baroness Kidron — the multi-award winning filmmaker Beeban Kidron — and are due to be debated on Monday afternoon in the UK’s upper house.
The parliamentary showdown comes as the UK government seeks to water down copyright laws in favour of AI developers who need a constant supply of high-quality content on which to train their generative models. Much of that content has been taken without consent or compensation. UK ministers want hi-techs to be free to use copyrighted material unless creatives opt out, something rightsholders say they would be unable to do.
The letter to Starmer — also signed by Dua Lipa, Kate Bush, Coldplay, Universal Music CEO Sir Lucian Grainge and Mumsnet CEO Justine Roberts — says the UK will “lose an immense growth opportunity if we give our work away at the behest of a handful of powerful overseas tech companies”. It adds:
“These amendments recognise the crucial role that creative content plays in the development of generative AI. They will spur a dynamic licensing market that will enhance the role of human creativity in the UK, positioning us as a key player in the global AI supply chain. To parliamentarians on all sides of the political spectrum and in both Houses, we urge you to vote in support of the UK creative industries. Supporting us supports the creators of the future. Our work is not yours to give away.”
Baroness Kidron, who sits as an independent, said the creative industries welcomed “the new frontier of creativity offered by advances in AI” adding: “How AI is developed and who it benefits are two of the most important questions of our time”. Thanking the more than 400 signatories she said that behind them stood “the thousands of technicians, roadies, agents, costumers, make-up, set designers, production and post-production staff, sub-editors, and many more who make their work possible”. “Today they are raising their voice for all those who make the UK an economic powerhouse of creativity and innovation. Most importantly, they are speaking out to ensure a positive future for the next generation of creators and innovators.”
Lord Clement-Jones, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for science, innovation and technology in the Lords, said: “Transparency isn’t just an ethical obligation — it’s the foundation for a vibrant licensing system where creators are respected and compensated. When AI developers acknowledge copyright through clear licensing frameworks, both innovation and creativity can flourish side by side. This dynamic marketplace doesn’t hinder progress but accelerates it, transforming potential conflict into collaboration and shared prosperity between our creative and tech sectors.”
WHY SHOULD WE CARE?
✨As Baroness Kidron rightly says, “how AI is developed and who it benefits are two of the most important questions of our time”. Those questions apply wherever you are reading this. And if, by the way, you’re experiencing a déjà vu moment then your senses are correct. In January Baroness Kidron defeated the government by adding a package of amendments to the Data (Use and Access) Bill forcing AI crawlers to observe UK copyright law, reveal their identities and purpose, and let creatives know if their copyrighted works had been scraped. Those amendments were removed when the bill found its way to the lower house and an attempt there to reinsert them failed. Now the very same bill is back in the Lords where a crossbench unison of peers could inflict another government defeat. Is the government really going to stand against the creative industries? Is it really going to ditch individual workers that Labour has traditionally supported in their fight for fairer working conditions? And dare it ignore national treasures like Elton and Macca? We shall see.
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