Proposed law aims to balance creator rights with AI development needs
The UK government is poised to introduce new legislation by the end of the year to address the ongoing tension between copyright protection and the data needs of artificial intelligence companies, a senior official said Wednesday.
Speaking at the Times Tech Summit, Feryal Clark, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Digital Government, revealed that the government is “working through what we need to do to resolve the issue and to bring clarity to both the AI sector [and] also to creative industries.”
The move comes after a series of false starts in attempts to regulate the use of copyrighted materials in AI training. Previous efforts, including a proposed amendment to the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and plans for an industry code of practice, were abandoned amid stakeholder disagreements.
The government’s renewed focus on legislation follows recommendations from Sir Patrick Vallance’s 2023 “Pro-innovation Regulation of Technologies Review,” which called for a clear policy position on intellectual property law and generative AI to bolster investor and innovator confidence.
Ms. Clark’s announcement signals a shift from the voluntary approach previously favored by the government. The abandoned code of practice, which was to be developed by the UK Intellectual Property Office in collaboration with AI developers and creative industry representatives, highlighted the challenges in finding common ground between tech innovators and content creators.
The specifics of the proposed legislation remain unclear, but industry observers anticipate it will attempt to strike a balance between protecting the rights of content creators and ensuring AI companies have access to the vast datasets required for training advanced models.
This development is likely to be closely watched by both the tech and creative sectors, as it could set a precedent for how other countries approach the intersection of AI and copyright law. With the UK government committing to resolve the uncertainty “by the end of this year,” stakeholders on all sides will be keen to influence the shape of the forthcoming legislation.
As AI continues to transform industries and challenge existing legal frameworks, the UK’s approach to this complex issue could position the country as either a leader in AI-friendly regulation or a staunch defender of traditional copyright protections. The outcome of this legislative effort may have far-reaching implications for the future of AI development and creative industries not only in the UK but globally.