Over 400 UK Creators Urge PM to Protect Copyright from AI

Over 400 prominent UK creatives, including Dua Lipa, Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, and Kazuo Ishiguro, have jointly urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to support an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill aimed at protecting copyright in the era of generative AI. The proposed amendment, championed by Baroness Beeban Kidron, would require AI developers to disclose when copyrighted works are used to train their models, enabling fair licensing and safeguarding creators' rights. Despite passing the third reading in the Commons without this amendment, a crucial vote is pending in the House of Lords. Signatories emphasize that creative copyright is vital to the UK's cultural economy, supporting 2.4 million jobs and underpinning the nation's status as a creative powerhouse. They stress that transparency from AI firms is necessary to prevent the erosion of creators' rights and to ensure that the development of AI respects UK laws and values. The letter also highlights that the creative sector embraces innovation but warns against allowing powerful overseas tech companies to exploit creative works without accountability.