The UK government is considering the introduction of an opt-out regime to protect copyright during the training of AI models. This would allow tech companies such as Google and OpenAI to use copyright-protected content to train their models unless creators explicitly choose to opt out.
However, such proposals have drawn criticism from representatives of creative professions. Beben Kidron, an activist defending artists’ rights, expressed her disappointment: “The government is consulting on giving away the creativity and livelihoods of the UK’s creative sector, worth £126 billion a year.” It is also believed that this mechanism could mainly benefit large companies, leaving small and medium-sized creators without protection.
The tech association Tech UK has supported this initiative, seeing it as an opportunity for the development of AI in the United Kingdom. At the same time, the government emphasizes the need for greater transparency from AI developers regarding the materials they use to train their models.
The government aims to ensure a balance between creators’ rights and the development of AI technologies. As part of consultations running until February 25, 2025, the government plans to gather opinions from all stakeholders to assess the economic impact of these proposals. This will help find optimal solutions for both sectors.
