Key facts
- UK government abandoned plans to permit AI companies to use copyrighted material without permission.
- Celebrities like Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, and Thom Yorke opposed the UK's proposed copyright reforms.
- A campaign led by Beeban Kidron, a member of the UK parliament and film director, pushed legislative amendments against the proposals.
- Ed Newton-Rex, a composer and former AI executive, organized artistic protests including a 'silent' album and an 'empty' book.
- Polling indicated that seven out of 10 UK adults supported royalty payments for AI training data.
- Former adviser Pierre Andrews suggested Australia's government should avoid a similar misstep to the UK's Labour government.
High-profile celebrities and creatives in the UK successfully campaigned against government proposals that would have allowed artificial intelligence companies to use copyrighted material without explicit permission or payment. The movement, which included prominent figures like Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, and Thom Yorke, leveraged celebrity endorsements and artistic protests to influence public opinion and government policy.
Beeban Kidron, a member of the UK parliament and film director, played a key role in organizing the opposition, pushing for legislative amendments and mobilizing celebrity support. She stated that the campaign resonated with the public, who care about the cultural works that influence their lives. Polling indicated strong public backing for royalty payments to copyright holders whose work is used to train AI models, with seven out of 10 UK adults supporting such measures.
Ed Newton-Rex, a composer and former AI executive, contributed to the campaign through creative stunts such as a 'silent' album titled 'Is This What We Want?' featuring recordings of dormant music studios, backed by over 1,000 musicians, and an 'empty' book titled 'Don't Steal This Book,' signed by 10,000 writers. Newton-Rex argued that such proposals only pass when people don't notice, and that fairness is quickly understood.
Pierre Andrews, a former cultural policy adviser to the UK's Conservative government, suggested that Australia's Prime Minister Albanese should learn from the UK's experience. He noted that the UK's Labour government mistakenly believed it could convince the creative industries to accept the changes, leading to a sense of betrayal. Antony Walker, deputy chief executive of techUK, acknowledged that the initial consultation was poorly framed but felt rights holders dominated the debate. The UK government has since moved away from its preferred proposal, and the new prime minister, Andy Burnham, has yet to outline a new policy, but would face a determined opposition if he pursued similar reforms.