Elton John, Paul McCartney, Dua Lipa and others write letter to UK PM Keir Starmer concerning AI copyright laws

A letter signed by over 400 British musicians, writers, and artists, including Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, and Dua Lipa, is urging UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to update copyright laws to protect them from artificial intelligence. The letter warns that failing to provide such protection would effectively "give away" their work to tech firms. It also raises concerns about the potential damage to "the UK's position as a creative powerhouse." The signatories have asked Stamer to support an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill. This amendment would require developers to be transparent with copyright owners about the use of their material to train AI models. Other notable signatories of the letter include Sir Ian McKellen, Florence Welch, Kazuo Ishiguro, David Hare, Kate Bush, Robbie Williams, Coldplay, Tom Stoppard, and Richard Curtis.


What the government and artists said about the AI copyright laws
"We are wealth creators, we reflect and promote the national stories, we are the innovators of the future, and AI needs us as much as it needs energy and computer skills," the letter noted. In January, McCartney also told the BBC that he was concerned about AI ripping off artists.

These artists have argued that their concerns could be addressed if the government supports an amendment put forward by UK MP Baroness Beeban Kidron that would “allow both AI developers and creators to develop licensing regimes that will allow for human-created content well into the future.”

Kidron’s earlier amendment, which would have held AI developers directly accountable to UK copyright law, was recently voted down by MPs. She now argues that the transparency requirements in her new proposal could facilitate the creation of licensing agreements between creators and tech firms.

In a statement to the BBC, a government spokesperson said: “We want our creative industries and AI companies to flourish, which is why we're consulting on a package of measures that we hope will work for both sectors. We're clear that no changes will be considered unless we are completely satisfied they work for creators.”