Paul McCartney has spoken out against a potential change in British copyright laws that he believes could allow tech companies to exploit artists’ work. The UK government is considering a proposal that would let tech firms use copyrighted content to train AI models, unless the creators specifically opt out.
McCartney voiced his concerns in an interview with the BBC, arguing that this shift would make it more difficult for artists to maintain control over their creations and could harm the UK’s creative industries. He pointed out that young, emerging artists who create songs might lose ownership and have little say in how their work is used. In his view, anyone could take their material without permission, which he believes is unfair.
The 82-year-old musician also emphasized that the revenue generated by music on streaming platforms is currently going to someone, and that it should go to the creators, not large tech corporations.
The UK’s center-left Labour Party government has expressed its ambition to make Britain a global leader in artificial intelligence. In December, the government launched a consultation to explore how copyright laws can be updated to give creators and copyright holders better control over how their works are used for AI training, while also ensuring that AI developers have easy access to a wide variety of high-quality creative content.
A group of publishers, artists’ organizations, and media companies, including The Associated Press, have come together to form the Creative Rights in AI Coalition. They are pushing back against potential changes to copyright laws that could weaken protections for creators.
Paul McCartney weighed in, urging the government to fulfill its responsibility to protect artists. “We’re the people, you’re the government. You’re supposed to protect us. That’s your job,” McCartney said. He stressed that if the government passes a bill that doesn’t safeguard creative individuals, it could drive artists away.