Music industry voices call for AI rethink

Voices from across the music industry including the Independent Society of Musicians (ISM) and UK Music, as well as performing artists including Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John and MPs from a variety of parties have joined forces to call on the UK Government to change its stance on how AI interacts with copyrighted works. The campaign gains momentum as the deadline for the Government’s consultation on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence approaches (25 February).

The consultation will inform the Government’s decisions around how AI interacts with copyrighted works and whether creators are protected and compensated when their works are used to train AI systems. The Government’s current proposal follows the EU’s rights reservation mechanism, an opt-out system which many in the music industry believe does not protect artists. UK Music describes the system as ‘both confusing and difficult to navigate, as creators would be required to opt-out from each and every AI company’s individual policy’.

Labour MP Anneliese Midgley said: ‘As the party of labour, with a commitment to make work pay, this Government should ensure that artists, songwriters and musicians are fairly paid for their work and protected from exploitation by faceless tech companies. AI can be a powerful tool, transforming industries like healthcare and science by reducing admin burdens and freeing up skilled professionals. But AI that tokenises the toil of artists and spits out soulless imitations does not support human creativity or make it more productive.’

Members of the music industry are now encouraged to access the consultation document and submit responses via Citizen Space before the consultation closing date on 25 February 2025. The ISM’s guidelines for responses recommend respondents write in their own words, using their own experiences to ‘highlight the real-world impact of AI on music creators and reinforce the case for maintaining strong copyright protections without unnecessary policy changes.’