A bill which caused a major clash between famous artists and the UK government has finally passed without a key change some had pushed for.
The Data (Use and Access) Bill included updates to existing legislation, such as helping NHS trusts share data and creating a 3D map of underground pipes, but one part caused major debate: whether tech companies should have to declare when they use copyrighted content to train AI.
Artists like Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney and Dua Lipa supported an amendment from the House of Lords that would require this.
They argued that, without it, AI firms could freely use creative works to train their systems without paying, risking artists’ jobs. Sir Elton described it as ‘theft on a high scale’.
The government, however, rejected the change, saying it’s already looking into the issue in a separate review and plans to address it in a future AI law.
The bill went back and forth between the House of Commons and Lords for weeks, but it has now passed without the AI amendment and will soon become law.
While the government welcomed the bill’s passage, saying it will help grow the economy and save time for NHS staff and police, many in the creative industry are still unhappy.
Baroness Beeban Kidron, who pushed for the amendment, told the BBC that the bill is a ‘pyrrhic victory at best’ for the government, suggesting it will lose more in the long term by giving away UK creative content to AI firms, mostly based in the US.
UK Music chief executive Tom Kiehl added: “After five government defeats, on Wednesday the House of Lords decided not to press issue of AI, transparency and copyright further on Data Bill, marking an end to a momentous battle where the needs of our creative community have been valiantly fought for.
“While the concessions secured fall short of being meaningful, other opportunities will present themselves to pick up this fight to achieve proper protections for our creators and music businesses.
“Thanks to Baroness Kidron and all other Parliamentarians that have played a part in this important moment.”
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