UK government praises ‘greatest innovators’ but rejects campaign calls to rein in AI misuse
Collective efforts are to continue across the broad content industry – including the news sector – to ensure AI companies pay for use of copyright material.
Musicians, authors, artists and journalists had anticipated the decision of the government last night to reject amendments in the House of Commons to the Data Bill.
The failed vote followed a long ‘report stage’ debate during which MPs representing all parties described the economic and cultural importance of the content industry which had a track record of adapting to embrace technology innovations – including AI.
Andrew Moger, CEO of the News Media Coalition of news publishers and news agencies in the UK and abroad, said: ‘The chorus of support for AI firms to play fair and pay fairly is growing. Not only professional creators but individuals posting and interacting with digital platforms are now also recognising the need to understand where their content is fuelling the business models of unscrupulous AI systems.’
He added: ‘We applaud the efforts of the Content Rights in AI Coalition, marshalled by the News Media Association, in raising awareness of what’s at stake for us all.’
He said Baroness Kidron, in the Lords and Dame Caroline Dinage in the Commons, had been stella advocates for newspapers, magazines, news websites, licensed print and content online which ‘helps to support high quality and independent journalism, which is just so vital to underpinning our democratic life.’
Moger commented: ‘Ultimately, those AI firms are hoovering up news content and undermining the largely hidden incentivising ecosystem behind news-gathering. As we say, there will be No News Without Fair Reward’.
‘Clearly AI businesses recognise the value of premium content such as quality journalism but many refuse to compensate the creativity, investment, endeavour and often years of hard graft behind it as showcased in NMC communications and website’.
‘The content industry will not let up until the AI sector recognises copyright, takes licences, is transparent about how material is used and contributes its technical expertise to attempts to create the means for content rights owners to remove their material from scrapping, if they want to,’ Moger concluded.
