Arts industry CEOs share concern about government approach to copyright and AI

Chief executives of performing arts organisations across the UK have this week released a statement sharing their concerns about the impact of the government’s plans for interactions between copyright and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The current proposal, which follows the EU’s rights reservation mechanism when approaching the issue, constitutes an opt-out system which many in the music industry believe does not protect artists.

Signatories of the statement include CEOs of Royal Albert Hall, Southbank Centre, Royal Ballet and Opera, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Britten Pears Arts, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Bristol Beacon, Garsington Opera, Opera North and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

In the statement, the CEOs write: ‘As leaders of creative institutions, we embrace advances in technology. We are not separate from innovation but rather participants in its practical applications and the philosophical and moral questions it raises. We are concerned that the government proposals risk undermining agency and participation in the new world of AI rather than supporting the moral and economic rights of our creative community to their work.’

The statement is released against a backdrop of widespread concern about the impact of AI on the creative industries. Last month, voices from across the music industry including organisations, performing artists and MPs from a variety of parties joined forces to call on the UK Government to change its stance on how AI interacts with copyrighted works as the Government’s consultation on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence came to a close.

You can find the full statement and list of signatories below:

‘We join with many in the creative community in expressing our concern about the government’s plans to diminish creative copyright by giving an exemption to AI companies. Our community of highly skilled creative workers depend on a fragile ecosystem of freelance creatives, many of whom rely on copyright to sustain their practice, and most of whom have spent many decades honing their craft.

‘As leaders of creative institutions, we embrace advances in technology. We are not separate from innovation but rather participants in its practical applications and the philosophical and moral questions it raises. We are concerned that the government proposals risk undermining agency and participation in the new world of AI rather than supporting the moral and economic rights of our creative community to their work. As such we ask the government to underline a creative person’s automatic right to their work and ask that the government support transparency duties on AI companies.

‘The sheer wonderment of world class music, drama, dance and opera is essential to the joy of being human. We urge the government to support the human creative endeavour at its heart.’