For a UK government desperate for economic growth, the demands of tech companies for copyright laws to be relaxed – in order that their artificial intelligence (AI) systems can access as much online content as possible without having to pay or seek permission – have been hard to resist.
Three years ago, it appeared that their lobbyists were on the verge of getting their way when a government agency, the Intellectual Property Office, recommended an exemption for data mining.
This would grant bots free rein and – so the argument went – provide an incentive for tech companies to invest in the UK.
It’s a seductive promise: let our computers scrape the internet for ideas, images, forms of words, stories, music, jokes … and our industry will make your country rich.
The government’s consultation was weighted towards big tech.
