Industry welcomes rethink as UK drops preferred AI copyright plan
Scholarly communications industry figures have welcomed the UK government’s decision to step back from its previously preferred approach to copyright and artificial intelligence, following months of consultation and debate.
The government has now confirmed it “no longer has a preferred option” on copyright and AI, after strong feedback from stakeholders including writers and artists, who had called for greater protections against the use of copyrighted works in training AI models without permission.
Mandy Hill, Managing Director, Academic Publishing at Cambridge University Press and President of the Publishers Association, said: “It is great to see that the UK government has moved away from copyright exception being the preferred route for AI training. This shows that the creative industry has been listened to on the importance of maintaining copyright.
“Effective, fair licensing models are already up and running between many publishers and responsible tech companies and are the way to maximise both innovation and the continued supply of trusted, high-quality content.”
Leslie Lansman, Head of Permission and Licensing at Springer Nature, added: “I welcome the transparency and appreciation of co-operation evident throughout the DCMS/DSIT/IPO report and impact assessment on copyright and artifical intelligence. We must take the time needed to get this right. We will not introduce reforms to copyright law until we are confident that they will meet our objectives for the economy and UK citizens.
“This means protecting the UK’s position as a creative powerhouse, while unlocking the extraordinary potential of AI to grow the economy and improve lives. Any reform must ensure that right holders can be fairly rewarded for the economic value their work creates, and that they are protected against unlawful and unfair use of their work.”
A joint report from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport states: “In light of the strong views from the consultation, the gaps in evidence and the rapidly evolving AI sector and international context, a broad copyright exception with opt-out is no longer the government’s preferred way forward.
“We propose to gather further evidence on how copyright laws are impacting the development and deployment of AI across the economy. We will consider and engage stakeholders on other potential policy approaches. We will also continue to monitor developments in technology, litigation, international approaches, and the licensing market.”
Technology secretary Liz Kendall said the government had “engaged extensively” and reiterated the need to balance the interests of the creative and technology sectors. “We will help creatives control how their work is used. This sits at the heart of our ambition for creatives – including independent and smaller creative organisations – to be paid fairly,” she said.
The development comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves has identified AI as a central economic driver, with ambitions for the UK to achieve “the fastest AI adoption in the G7”.