The Government is facing a major backlash from major companies in the £100bn creative industries over its ambitious “AI Opportunities Action Plan” – revealed last week – amid claims that the proposals will see the UK ride roughshod over copyright laws to “turbocharge growth and living standards”.
A newly formed Creative Rights in AI Coalition (CRAIC) – made up of over 50 organisations including Getty Images, the Motion Picture Association, the Associated Press, the British Copyright Council, the Creators’ Rights Alliance and the Association of Photographers – are concerned about the unlicensed use of their material.
The crux of the issue is the Government’s apparent move to take advantage of Brexit by enabling the UK to set its own rules on copyright, followed by a proposal to copy the EU’s new and undefined AI laws, including its “opt-out” approach to copyright that it is still struggling to define.
CRAIC claims that the AI Opportunities Action Plan glosses over what should be a basic requirement to protect intellectual property rights, charging ahead with a skeleton plan that could well see the industry cannibalising itself.
In response to the Government’s inisistence that the move will tackle the “uncertainty” around the current UK text and data mining tactics, CRAIC stated: “There is no ‘uncertainty’ in the UK text and data mining regime: it is clear that UK copyright law does not allow text and data mining for commercial purposes without a license.
“The only uncertainty is around who has been using the UK’s creative crown jewels as training material without permission and how they got hold of it, making transparency provisions vital.
“Retaining the UK’s gold standard copyright protections – and ensuring the law is enforceable and respected in the face of the challenges posed by GenAI – will create incentives for GenAI developers to enter into licence agreements with rights holders, ensuring a steady flow of quality, human-authored works for GenAI training.
“Without proper control and remuneration for creators, investment in high-quality content will fall. GenAI innovation will inevitably stall, and value will drain from both the tech and creative industries which contribute so much to the UK economy and quality of life.”
The row coincides with a fresh Government pledge to offer a £60m package of support to the creative industries.This includes investments for start-up video game studios, grassroots music venues and creative businesses to boost British music and film exports, which it is claimed will facilitate investment and innovation in communities, and, in turn, support businesses and employment.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy is also bringing forward changes so that shorter apprenticeships are available from August 2025, recognising the particular needs of the creative industries, towards a more flexible Growth and Skills Levy.
The Government is working with industry, including through a Creative Industries Taskforce chaired by Baroness Shriti Vadera and Sir Peter Bazalgette, on the sector plan and there will be more detail and policy announcements made in the months ahead.
Nandy said: “From film and fashion to music and advertising, our creative industries are truly world-class and play a critical role in helping us deliver on this Government’s mission to drive economic growth in all parts of the UK.
“Our £60m funding boost will support creative and cultural organisations across the UK to turbocharge growth by transforming local venues, creating jobs, supporting businesses and spreading opportunity across the country.
“But this is by no means the limit of our ambitions, which is why the creative industries are at the heart of the forthcoming Industrial Strategy and will continue to play a key part in this Government’s Plan for Change.”
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