In a joint effort to protect their creative work from being exploited by artificial intelligence, a coalition of over 400 British musicians, writers, and artists have signed a letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, urging him to update copyright laws to safeguard their rights. The letter, which includes signatures from notable figures such as Dua Lipa, Sir Elton John, Sir Ian McKellen, and Florence Welch, among others, warns that failing to provide such protection would result in artists "giving away" their work to tech firms.
The letter highlights the risk not only to individual artists but also to the UK's position as a creative powerhouse. The signatories are calling on the Prime Minister to back an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, proposed by Baroness Beeban Kidron, which would require AI developers to be transparent with copyright owners about using their material to train AI models. This, they argue, would allow both AI developers and creators to develop licensing regimes that would enable human-created content to thrive in the future.
The letter emphasizes that the artists are not opposed to the development of AI, but rather want to ensure that it is used in a way that benefits both creators and developers. "We are wealth creators, we reflect and promote the national stories, we are the innovators of the future, and AI needs us as much as it needs energy and computer skills," the letter states.
The signatories, which also include authors Kazuo Ishiguro and Tom Stoppard, playwrights David Hare and Richard Curtis, as well as singers Kate Bush and Robbie Williams, and bands such as Coldplay, are keen to stress that their concerns can be met if the government backs Baroness Kidron's amendment ahead of a key vote in the House of Lords on Monday.