The UK’s Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, recently expressed support for artists’ concerns regarding the unauthorized use of their copyrighted works by AI companies. She emphasized the need to “reset” the conversation surrounding this issue, in contrast to her predecessor, Peter Kyle, who proposed requiring artists to opt out of having their works used as training data for generative AI systems. Kendall acknowledged that “people rightly want to get paid for the work that they do” and aims to establish a framework that benefits both the creative and AI sectors.
The UK government is currently consulting on a new intellectual property framework for AI, which is crucial for effective training of large language models that depend on extensive datasets. This issue has garnered attention from prominent artists, including Paul McCartney, who recently released a silent track to protest against AI copyright infringements. Other notable figures, such as Kate Bush and Elton John, have also voiced their frustrations with the government’s proposals that permit tech firms to utilize copyrighted works without obtaining permission.
Kendall stated that she and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy are engaging in discussions with both the creative and AI sectors to address these challenges. Concerns had previously been raised when a special adviser with a critical view of compensating content creators was appointed. However, Kendall reassured that personal views do not reflect governmental policy and expressed a commitment to transparency and compensation for artists whose works are used in AI training.
Recent developments include a $1.5 billion legal settlement involving Anthropic, which resulted in a searchable database for authors to check if their works were included in training data. Beeban Kidron, a film director advocating for creatives’ rights, welcomed Kendall’s recognition of the need for protections but noted a significant lack of trust from the creative community in the government’s commitment to fair compensation. An initial report on the government’s proposals is anticipated by year’s end, with a more detailed report by March 2026.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/nov/23/minister-indicates-sympathy-for-artists-in-debate-over-ai-and-copyright-liz-kendall