London renounces (for now) relaxing copyright in favor of the AI industry

The UK government is retreating, to the great relief of artists. After months of controversy and pressure from major names (Elton John, Dua Lipa, Kate Bush...), the bill allowing the AI industry to train its models on works without needing permission is put on hold.

British artists win a round

Liz Kendall, the Secretary for Technology, says the government has « heard » the artists, and that the executive no longer supports any approach in this matter. She admits there is no consensus on how to achieve the set objectives, while trying to please both sides. London indeed recognizes the contributions of the cultural sector (a « national treasure ») as well as those of AI, whose growth is 23 times higher than the rest of the economy.

Following a consultation marked by the sector's massive rejection of the initial proposal, the British government has not yet decided on the next steps. It announces that no copyright reform will be pursued until a satisfactory solution for the economy and citizens is found.

The status quo therefore remains, to the benefit of artists and creators. The British Association of Publishers savors the government's reversal, which constitutes « a victory over the selfish interests of a handful of large companies ». And remind everyone that « copyright-protected content cannot be used for the development and training of AI without permission. »

But the issue will come back to the table. « As international competitors advance, the country cannot afford to leave this question unanswered », states Anthony Walker, Deputy Director General of Tech UK, the industry lobby group.

Read also AI : « Too complicated to ask artists for permission », argues a former Meta executive

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Source : BBC