The battle continues between protecting creativity and feeding AI
image:
There are hundreds of image generators that specialize in copying specific art styles. Image: Tom Allen via Google
Britain’s creative industries face a “clear and present danger” from generative AI, a House of Lords committee has warned the government.
The Communications and Digital Commission (CDC) says in a new report on AI and copyright that the UK is at a tipping point between two AI futures.
The country could become “a world-class home for responsible, license-based artificial intelligence development” or “drift” toward allowing large-scale use of unlicensed creative content by opaque US-based AI models, with unchecked damage to creative industries. ”
The commission has warned that changes to UK copyright law, such as allowing copyright protection for works created by AI, could undermine the creative industries.
The creative sector contributed £124 billion to the economy in 2023 and employed 2.4 million people. In contrast, the AI sector contributed £12bn in 2024 and employed 86,000 people.
AI and copyright issues continue to persist around the world. Last year, the UK was forced to reconsider its plan to allow the government to train AI models on copyrighted works. There is also strong public support for stronger copyright protection for AI.
Tech companies claim introducing a commercial text and data mining (TDM) exception for AI training will expand the UK’s AI sector. However, the Rhodes Committee said it was “clear” that this would “further exacerbate existing harm to rights holders and stall the emerging licensing market”.
The CDC has its own recommendations for how countries should handle licenses. They include:
- In true Australian fashion, exclude the proposed TDM exception.
- Introduces creative protections against “unauthorized digital replicas and ‘forms of’ AI output.”
- Make transparency around AI training data a legal requirement
- Helping build a ‘fair and inclusive’ UK licensing market
- Prioritize the development and adoption of sovereign AI models with a focus on transparency and respect for copyright.
Committee chair Baroness Keeley said: “AI may contribute to future economic growth, but the UK’s creative industries are currently creating jobs and economic value… Watering down the protections of our existing copyright system to attract America’s biggest technology companies is a race to the bottom that is not in the UK’s interests.”
“Creative industries must not be sacrificed for tomorrow’s AI jam.”
