Sir Keir Starmer has given pop legends Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney a lifeline in their battle to protect creative talent from artificial intelligence.
The Prime Minister said he wants “creatives to thrive” as he insisted government plans to relax copyright rules are not set in stone.
Sir Elton, Sir Paula and Simon Cowell have all called on the Government to rethink proposals.
They are demanding new plans to allow big firms to use online material for AI without paying the creators to be changed.
Under the proposals, creators would need to opt out to prevent their work from being used.
Sir Elton described the UK’s creative sector as the “envy of the world” but said the plan risked giving away that position.
X Factor creator Cowell said a failure to regulate AI properly risked artists and people working behind the scenes “being wiped out”.
But Sir Keir said the proposals had only been consulted on at this stage.
The Prime Minister was asked about the plans en route to Washington to meet US president Donald Trump.
Asked if they are set in stone, he said: “No, all that’s happened is there’s been a consultation. The consultation’s closed.”
He added: “We will review the responses to the consultation. The creative sector is obviously really important to our economy.
“AI is really important to our economy and we’ll review it in that light.
“But I’ll be clear, I want creatives to thrive. I think they’re really important for our country – not just the contribution to the economy but our global reputation.”
Among other artists calling for change are singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, Bafta-winning composer Nick Foster and author Kate Mosse, who said she supported the “possibilities” of AI, but ensuring tech companies pay for artists’ work was “a matter of principle, of fairness”.
She has called for the Government to introduce a system where AI companies seek permission to use work and offer payment, allowing the creators to “opt-in” rather than the current proposal.
Comments
Leave a Comment