Clegg says artist permission rule could harm UK AI sector
Creative icons criticise UK copyright laws they say favour big tech and harm artists.
Former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has warned that requiring tech companies to seek artists’ permission before using their work to train AI could harm the country’s AI industry.
Speaking at the Charleston Festival in East Sussex, he called the idea ‘implausible’ given the vast data requirements of AI systems and claimed such a rule could ‘kill the AI industry in this country overnight’ if applied only in the UK.
His comments have drawn criticism from key figures in the creative industries, including Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney, who argue that current proposals favour big tech at the expense of artists.
John and McCartney say changes to copyright law risk undermining the livelihoods of more than 2.5 million workers in the UK’s creative sector.
At the heart of the debate is the UK’s Data (Use and Access) Bill. It currently allows AI developers to train their models on copyrighted content unless creators actively opt out.
A proposed amendment that would have required companies to obtain consent was recently rejected by Parliament. Supporters of that amendment believe transparency and consent would offer greater protection for human-created works.
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