The UK government has stepped back from its plan to let AI developers train on copyrighted work unless rights holders opt out. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told Parliament on 18 March that ministers "no longer" have a preferred option for AI copyright reform, after a consultation in which most of the creative industries rejected the idea.
The shift also sets aside a narrower idea reported earlier in March, a commercial research exception that would have allowed training without permission and required licences only before a product reached market. The BPI had called that deeply troubling. Kendall instead set out four strands of work, on digital replicas, labelling of AI output, creator control and transparency, plus a group to look at helping independent creators license their work.
She weighed the creative sector, which she put at £146 billion and 7% of UK jobs, against a fast-growing AI industry, and argued Britain should build AI rather than depend on a few foreign firms.
Music and performer groups welcomed it. UK Music said the debate had been reset in favour of the 220,000 people in its sector, Equity said handing creative work to US tech firms would have been self-defeating, and the Society of Authors saw its campaigns reflected in the new programme.
The move follows more than a year of pressure, including a 2025 letter from over 400 artists such as Elton John, Paul McCartney and Dua Lipa seeking AI training transparency in the Data (Use and Access) Bill.
Sources · 1