More than 400 British artists including names like Dua Lipa, Elton John, Ian McKellen, and Florence Welch have called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to update copyright laws to protect them from the misuse of their work by artificial intelligence (AI), according to the BBC.
In an open letter, the artists warn that the lack of legal protections means creators are essentially “giving away” their work to tech companies, putting the UK’s status as a global creative powerhouse at risk.
The artists are demanding that the Data Act (Usage and Access) be amended to require AI developers to be transparent with copyright holders about how their material is used in training AI models.
The UK government has stated it is currently consulting on solutions that support both creators and tech companies, stressing that it will not approve any changes that harm the creative industries.
However, there is opposition. Julia Willemyns from the Centre for British Progress has warned that such measures could hinder the country’s economic growth and would not stop foreign companies from using British content.
This initiative comes amid growing concern among artists about the unauthorized use of their works in training generative AI technologies — tools that, while convenient for the public, raise serious challenges for copyright and ethical data use.
