UK Government announces consultation on AI and Copyright

Today, the UK Government has announced an open consultation seeking “views on how the government can ensure the UK’s legal framework for AI and copyright supports the UK creative industries and AI sector together.”

The consultation will invite feedback on proposals to deliver against the government's objectives for AI and copyright, which are stated as:

• boosting trust and transparency between sectors, by ensuring AI developers provide right holders with greater clarity about how they use their material.
• enhancing right holders’ control over whether or not their works are used to train AI models, and their ability to be paid for its use where they so wish.
• ensuring AI developers have access to high-quality material to train leading AI models in the UK and support innovation across the UK AI sector

The consultation will also address issues including copyright protection for computer-generated works.

DACS welcomes this announcement, and the emphasis on transparency and enhanced control for rightsholders. We look forward to working with the Government to ensure artists' rights are protected, and raising the concerns of our members.

Our AI & Artists Report showed that the overwhelming majority of visual artists want to decide if their work can be used for AI training, whilst showing a willingness to consent to such uses, provided that regulation and compensation mechanisms are in place to ensure that their rights are respected.

We believe that consent, control and remuneration for IP rights should be central to the UK’s goals for AI development and that the onus should not be on rights holders to prevent AI firms from commercially exploiting their data without permission or remuneration.

Any solution in the UK must enable artists to effectively and easily exercise their rights, and receive fair compensation for use of their work.

Read more

• How DACS advocates for artists' right
• Artificial Intelligence and artists