Government backtracks on AI and copyright after outcry from major artists

"We have listened. 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. 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 how their work is used', while recognising AI models need to be trained work such as writing, music and video."

"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 UK government abandoned its initial position permitting AI companies to train models on copyrighted works with an opt-out mechanism following significant opposition from artists including Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced the government no longer favors this approach and has no preferred alternative. The government aims to balance creative sector interests by granting artists control over their work usage while acknowledging AI models require training data. A consultation revealed overwhelming rejection of the original plan. The government recognizes both sectors' economic importance, noting UK culture as a world-leading asset and the AI industry growing 23 times faster than the broader economy. No copyright law reforms will proceed until objectives for economic and citizen benefit are met.

Read at www.bbc.com