UK peers warn weakening AI copyright law could hammer creative industries

Britain's creative industries will face significant damage unless the government strengthens AI copyright law, according to a House of Lords committee.

The nation behind some of the most recognizable names in music, film, and the arts could drift toward a scenario where a small number of US-based firms get the benefit and the harms to British creators grow, a report from the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee said.

As the government considers its position on updating copyright law to accommodate the use of content by AI model builders, the peers said it would be a poor bet if it allowed changes to copyright that could undermine the UK's creative industries.

The report pointed out that creative industries were underpinned by a "gold standard" copyright regime and contributed £124 billion to the UK economy in 2023, while employing 2.4 million people. The AI sector, on the ...