The leaders of the three major music companies have backed a press campaign against the UK government’s “catastrophic” AI proposals.
The Daily Mail campaign, which appears on the front page of today’s editions, has recruited senior figures from across music, media and film in an effort to “protect Britain's creative industries from the threat of AI”.
Music Week has reported on the music industry’s concerns with the Labour government's AI consultation process. It follows the launch of the government consultation in December that proposes introducing an exception to copyright law for AI training for commercial purposes, while allowing rights-holders to ‘reserve’ their rights. The consultation closes on February 25.
UK labels trade body the BPI issued a stark warning over the proposals, while UK Music CEO Tom Kiehl penned an op-ed for Music Week calling on the government to reconsider proposals for a text and data mining exception to copyright in exchange for AI companies providing greater transparency.
The campaign to protect copyright from big tech has now stepped up with calls to back the UK’s £126 billion creative industries and its 2.4 million jobs.
Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, told the Mail: “The UK stands at a decisive crossroads because what is 'Made in Britain' and exported to the world is not limited to physical products, but also intellectual property and copyright including music, visual art, life sciences and more. This is the source of the UK's tremendous soft power that resonates on a global scale.”
The UK stands at a decisive crossroads because what is 'Made in Britain' and exported to the world is not limited to physical products, but also intellectual property and copyright including music
Sir Lucian Grainge
Rob Stringer, chairman of Sony Music Group, said: “AI is going to change the world… However, there can be no question that creators must be rewarded for being part of this technological revolution. Safeguarding the existing UK copyright model ensures AI developers and content owners can innovate whilst also recognising the value of the works on which their products are based.”
Warner Music Group's CEO Robert Kyncl said: “The government's proposed exception to copyright for training AI systems would undermine the ability of artists and songwriters, copyright holders that invest in them and the creative community at large, to monetise and control their creative works and earn a living from their creativity. This will be very detrimental to the world-leading creative community that has long been the pride of the UK.”
Tom Kiehl, chief executive of UK Music, added: “These proposals would be catastrophic for our world-leading creative industries. The opt-out system being put forward prioritises AI firms over human creativity, enabling Big Tech firms to effectively steal the work of music creators without their consent and without paying them.
“This would deliver a devastating blow to the entire industry which contributes £7.6billion to our economy and supports 216,000 jobs in the UK.”
Under the government's proposals, AI companies would be given an exemption for text or data mining of creative works without having to pay rights-holders. While creative organisations would be allowed a ‘rights reservation’ opt-out, critics say this protection should be automatic. There is also concern at the lack of any economic impact assessment.
Dr Jo Twist OBE, BPI CEO, said: "Britain's creative industries have been rightly recognised by government as one of eight priority sectors for economic growth. They are worth £125 billion per year to our economy, employ over 2.4 million people, and are the source of immense cultural power on the global stage.
“The sweeping changes to copyright law currently being proposed would completely undermine this growth opportunity, essentially making it legal for international AI firms to plunder the UK’s music, books, film and more, all for their own profit and without the need for authorisation or compensation. Creators and rights-holders would in theory be given the option to 'opt-out' of having their work used to train AI models - but other markets have shown that opt-out schemes are unworkable in practice, and ineffective in protecting against misuse and theft.
“The UK's gold-standard copyright framework is central to the global success of our creative industries. We understand AI’s potential to drive change including greater productivity or improvements to public services, but it is entirely possible to realise this without destroying our status as a creative superpower."
Gee Davy, CEO of the Association of Independent Music (AIM), said: “The UK's independent music sector is a dynamic and diverse community of businesses and artists working in partnership, releasing their music through small, specialist, UK-based labels. The sector's commitment to high-quality, original music means it plays a crucial role in Britain’s cultural landscape.
"Independent music businesses are innovative tech-friendly early adopters who are excited about where AI can help them, but not at the expense of the UK's musicians and brilliant culture. A TDM [text and data mining] exception would put Britain in a race to the bottom rather than fostering a mutually beneficial system where both music and AI can thrive across the UK. This would be an insult to the passion and sheer hard work that goes into creating the groundbreaking music that the UK is famous for around the world.
"The big tech AI developers are not even talking to the independent music sector about paying for the music they have used. They're not seeking consent, and instead just scrape music from the Internet without paying a penny. By endorsing copyright laws and supporting fair licensing practices, we can preserve the unique, vibrant culture of music in the UK and continue to enjoy the rich contribution these artists make to all of our lives.”
Last month, a coalition of nearly 60 organisations supported crossbench peer Baroness Kidron’s proposed amendments to the existing Data Bill to strengthen copyright laws against the specific threat of AI.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Yet again, this government is making everything worse. Almost the entire creative industries sector say their proposals are not fit for purpose. Labour must rethink their approach. The Conservatives will defend intellectual property rights and develop proper plans to harness the immense opportunities of AI.”
A government spokesman told the Mail that the creative industries would be consulted.
“The UK's creative sector is truly world class which is why we’ve launched a consultation to ensure the UK copyright framework offers strong protections with regards to AI,” he said. “That’s because the current regime is holding back both sectors from realising their full potential – and that cannot continue. We are consulting on a new approach that will ensure creators have real control and transparency over their works, with appropriate access to data for AI innovators.
“No move will be made until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers on our objectives – and as they have done throughout, the Technology Secretary and Culture Secretary, along with ministers from both departments, will continue to meet a wide range of representatives from both the AI sector and creative industries.”
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