Tech companies are using music to train generative AI models without appropriate permission or payment. This presents a serious threat to our valuable industry. In line with the closure of the Government’s consultation, we’re calling on policymakers to ensure that copyright law is respected and upheld to promote a sustainable future for both AI and the creative industries.
Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of the BPI, said:
“We stand behind today’s Make It FAIR campaign, which calls on Government to protect human creativity in the age of generative AI.
Britain's creative industries have been rightly recognised by Government as one of eight priority sectors for economic growth. They are worth £125 billion per year to our economy, employ over 2.4 million people, and are the source of immense cultural power on the global stage.
The sweeping changes to copyright law currently being proposed would completely undermine this growth opportunity, essentially making it legal for international AI firms to plunder the UK’s music, books, film and more, all for their own profit and without the need for authorisation or compensation. Creators and rights-holders would in theory be given the option to 'opt-out' of having their work used to train AI models - but other markets have shown that opt-out schemes are unworkable in practice, and ineffective in protecting against misuse and theft.
The UK's gold-standard copyright framework is central to the global success of our creative industries. We understand AI’s potential to drive change including greater productivity or improvements to public services, but it is entirely possible to realise this without destroying our status as a creative superpower.”
For more information about the consultation and how you can get involved (including a template letter to send to your MP), click here: https://www.bpi.co.uk/news-analysis/copyright-and-artificial-intelligence-consultation
For more information on the Make It Fair campaign, visit https://newsmediauk.org/make-it-fair/