UK Government U-Turn on AI Copyright Rules Following Artist Outcry

The UK government has backtracked on its position on copyright and AI, stating it must take time to “get this right”.

Its original position – allowing AI companies to use copyrighted works to train their models with an opt-out option – received major backlash from the likes of Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa.

“We have listened,” Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said on Wednesday, saying the government no longer favours that approach.

However, the government’s position is now unclear, saying it “no longer has a preferred option” for what to do next.

Chief executive of UK Music Tom Kiehl hailed the development as “a major victory for campaigners” and said it will work with government.

Kendall said the government had “engaged extensively” with people in the creative and AI industries.

It is attempting to balance the interests of the two sectors by giving creatives control of how their work is used, while recognising AI models need to be trained on work such as writing, music and video.

In a report published on Wednesday, the government said there was “no consensus on how these objectives should be achieved”.

In a separate impact assessment, it recognised the contributions both the creative sector and the AI industry make to the UK economy.

The assessment said UK culture is a “world-leading national asset”, while the AI industry is growing “23 times faster than the rest of the economy”.

The technology secretary’s announcement followed a consultation on the issue, which concluded the government’s initial plan was overwhelmingly rejected by the creative sector.

But there was no firm conclusion on what happens next, with the government saying it would not reform copyright laws “until we are confident that they will meet our objectives for the economy and UK citizens”.

Mandy Hill, managing director at Cambridge University Press and the president of the Publishers Association, said the backtrack was a victory “over the self-interest of a handful of large corporations”.