A group of prominent British musicians, including Elton John and Dua Lipa, are urging the U.K. government to reconsider its approach to copyright laws in the context of artificial intelligence. In an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the artists expressed serious concerns over proposals that would make it easier for AI developers to access rights-protected content without proper oversight. The letter supports an amendment introduced by Baroness Beeban Kidron, which seeks to place tighter controls and transparency requirements on the use of copyrighted material by AI developers.
The artists argue that their creative work forms a vital part of the U.K.’s cultural and economic fabric and should not be given away for free to powerful international tech companies. They emphasize the role of human creators in fostering innovation and warn that weakening copyright protections could result in the loss of significant economic and cultural value. The letter asserts that “AI needs us as much as it needs energy and computer skills,” highlighting the indispensable role of artists in the evolving technological landscape.
The U.K. government had previously launched a consultation on proposed reforms that would allow AI companies to use copyrighted content to train large language models, such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Google’s Gemini. These models rely on vast datasets, which often include text, audio, images, and videos sourced from the internet. The proposal in question would require artists and creators to opt out of having their works used for training AI — a move critics say unfairly places the burden on content creators to protect their rights.
Baroness Kidron’s proposed amendment would compel AI developers to disclose exactly which works have been used to train their models. Supporters of the amendment believe this transparency is essential for creating a licensing regime that fairly compensates artists and ensures that human-created content remains protected in the future. The letter urges members of Parliament to back the amendment and stand with the U.K.’s creative sector, stating, “Our work is not yours to give away.”
A government spokesperson responded by stating that the aim is to ensure both AI innovation and the creative industries can thrive. They added that no changes to the proposals would be made unless they are confident that creators’ interests are safeguarded. A report and economic impact assessment are expected as part of the next steps in the policy development process.
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