Florence Welch, Sir Ian McKellen, Dua Lipa, and Sir Elton John are among the celebrities who are urging the prime minister to revise copyright laws to safeguard them from artificial intelligence.
In a letter addressed to Sir Keir Starmer, over 400 British musicians, writers, and artists assert that not providing the aforementioned protection would equate to “giving away” their work to technology companies.
Additionally, they assert that “the United Kingdom’s status as a creative powerhouse” is at risk.
They are advocating for the Prime Minister to endorse an amendment to the Data (Use
and Access) Bill that would mandate that developers disclose their use of copyrighted material to train AI models to copyright owners.
A spokesperson for the government stated, “We are currently in the process of consulting on a set of measures that we believe will be beneficial for both the creative industries and AI companies.”
They clarified that no modifications will be considered until we are entirely convinced that they are beneficial to creators.
The following individuals are also signatories: author Kazuo Ishiguro, playwright David Hare, performers Kate Bush and Robbie Williams, and Coldplay, Tom Stoppard, and Richard Curtis.
The letter has also been signed by Sir Paul McCartney, who expressed his apprehension regarding the potential for AI to exploit artists in a January interview with the BBC.
It asserts that “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 assert that their apprehensions can be alleviated if the government endorses an amendment proposed by Baroness Beeban Kidron prior to a critical vote in the House of Lords on Monday.
It is stated that Baroness Kidron’s amendment would “enable the development of licensing regimes that will enable the preservation of human-created content for the foreseeable future” by both AI developers and creators.
Julia Willemyns, co-founder of the Centre for British Progress think tank, stated that such proposals could impede the United Kingdom’s efforts to achieve development.
She informed the BBC that the measures would “do nothing to prevent foreign firms from using content from the British creative industries.”
“The UK economy would be directly harmed by a restrictive copyright regime, which would chill domestic innovation, offshore AI development, and impede domestic innovation,” she stated.
Nevertheless, the letter is timely, as artists are increasingly apprehensive about the inclusion of their works and copyrighted material in the data that is used to create generative AI systems.
These tools, which can generate new content in response to straightforward text prompts, have become more prevalent and accessible to consumers.
However, their capabilities have been accompanied by criticism and concerns regarding their energy demand and data usage.
In February, a silent album was published by notable artists such as Damon Albarn and Annie Lennox in protest of the government’s proposed modifications to copyright law.
The government conducted a consultation regarding its proposal to permit developers to utilize creators’ content on the internet to assist in the development of their models, provided that the rights holders choose to “opt out.”
The Guardian reported that ministers were reevaluating the proposal in response to the backlash from creators.
Mr. Ishiguro directed the BBC to an earlier statement in which he composed, “Why is it just and fair – why is it sensible – to alter our time-honored copyright laws to benefit mammoth corporations at the expense of individual writers, musicians, film-makers, and artists?”
The Nobel Prize-winning author further stated that the only tangible progress since then was the government’s apparent acceptance of the opt-out proposals as unworkable.
He believed that a new consultation to identify a more equitable scheme was feasible, although the significance of such a consultation was uncertain.
“It is imperative that they achieve this accurately,” he stated.
A distinct amendment introduced by Baroness Kidron, which sought to mandate that AI developers adhere to UK copyright law, was recently rejected by MPs.
She now asserts that the transparency obligations imposed on technology firms by the new proposed amendment could facilitate the establishment of licensing agreements between creators and companies.
Baroness Kidron stated, “The United Kingdom is in a distinctive position to establish itself as a global player in the international AI supply chain. However, in order to capitalize on this opportunity, it is imperative to implement the transparency that my amendments provide, as it is essential to establish a dynamic licencing market.”
The government stated in their statement, “It is imperative that we dedicate the necessary time to analyze the diverse responses to our consultation. However, it is equally crucial that we establish the foundation now as we contemplate the subsequent steps.”
“That is why we have pledged to publish a report and economic impact assessment, which will examine the full spectrum of options and issues on all sides of the debate.”
