As the UK government weighs changes to its copyright framework in light of artificial intelligence, Mark Getty has issued a stark warning in The Times. The co-founder and chairman of Getty Images writes: “Using someone else’s intellectual property (IP) to build a commercial AI product without compensation is not innovation. It’s exploitation.”
In his letter, Mark Getty underscores the failure of policymakers to grasp “the key role that human content plays in AI,” calling it “terrifyingly shortsighted.” He notes that AI companies treat copyrighted content as a free raw material, even though it is the product of years of human effort, editorial care and economic investment.
“If copyrighted material is essential to AI development,” Getty writes, “why stop there? Should we also grant them free electricity? Free hardware? Free labour? Of course not.” The principle is simple: creative content is not a cost-free input, and AI should not be exempt from the rules that govern every other industry.
Getty also calls for a regulatory framework that allows the UK to compete on its own terms — as a home for AI innovation and creativity. “A strong, well-regulated licensing market creates incentives for investment, drives growth and provides security for AI developers and content creators,” he writes.
