British musician Elton John has labelled the proposed changes to copyright laws in the context of AI in the UK as “criminal” and accused officials of “stealing” from artists.
“The danger is that young artists do not have the resources to continue checking and fighting against big tech. It’s criminal, and I feel incredibly betrayed,” the singer stated.
He was responding to a proposal to relax the country’s copyright laws, which would allow AI developers to train models on any available works.
According to the composer, allowing companies to use artists’ content without payment will lead to “large-scale theft.”
The forthcoming bill is part of a broader initiative called the AI Opportunities Action Plan. It outlines recommendations to strengthen the sector in the UK with a focus on infrastructure growth, integration of public services, and development of domestic talent.
According to government estimates, AI could boost labour productivity in the UK by 1.5% annually, leading to an economic increase of £47 billion ($62.5 billion) per year.
In September 2023, the Authors Guild in the United States, which advocates for writers’ rights, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI over the alleged mass use of licensed works in training its large language model.