Sir Elton John hits out at UK government AI copyright plans

The musician told the BBC he felt "incredibly betrayed" by the government’s proposals that tech firms could train artificial intelligence models on UK creative output without guaranteeing proper recompense.

The UK has proposed relaxing copyright laws to allow AI developers to train their models on any material to which they have lawful access. The proposal would require creators to proactively opt out to stop their work from being used.

It is part of a move by the UK government to help the country become an AI superpower.

Last week the government rejected proposals from the House of Lords to force AI companies to disclose what material they were using to develop their programmes.

John told the BBC the "danger" is that, for young artists, "they haven't got the resources ... to fight big tech [firms]".

On Monday, the House of Lords voted by a 147 majority to amend the Data (Use and Access) Bill to add transparency requirements, which aim to ensure copyright holders have to give permission for their work to be used.

But on Wednesday (14 May), MPs in the House of Commons voted to reject this change, meaning the bill will continue to go back and forth between the two Houses until they reach an agreement.

Ahead of the vote in the House of Lords, John joined more than 400 British musicians, writers, and artists in signing a letter calling on the Prime Minister to update copyright laws in a way that protects them from artificial intelligence.

The government says it is seeking a solution that will enable creative industries and AI companies to flourish.