Although some AI firms have since started making deals to licence content, many existing AI models have been trained using data from the public internet, including from news and other publishing websites, which has led to many from that sector also speaking out against the proposed changes to the law.
They warned that government proposals to change UK copyright law to allow AI models to be more easily trained on copyrighted material would greatly damage the creative sector and see artists replaced in the long term.
Under the proposals, an exemption to copyright would be created for training AI, so tech firms would not need a licence to use copyrighted material, and creators would need to opt out to prevent their work from being used.
The message said: “The Government wants to change the UK’s laws to favour big tech platforms so they can use British creative content to power their AI models without our permission or payment.
Also protesting the proposed changes to copyright law, more than 1,000 musicians including Kate Bush, Annie Lennox and Damon Albarn have come together to record a silent album.
