Government AI initiatives will only proceed if there is “more remuneration for the creative industries at the end of it”, a minister has said.
Culture minister Sir Chris Bryant told MPs the UK is a “content superpower” as he insisted “copyright law stands firmly behind creative industries”.
The Data (Use and Access) Bill had been amended by peers in a bid to protect creatives from having their copyrighted work used to train AI models without permission or remuneration.
The measures would explicitly subject AI companies to UK copyright law, regardless of where they are based, and allow copyright owners to know when, where and how their work is used.
During culture and media questions in the Commons, Conservative MP for Herne Bay and Sandwich, Sir Robert Gale, said: “If I enter your house and I steal the draft manuscript of your memoirs, I’m guilty of a crime.
“Artists, writers, musicians and other creatives are all having their work stolen as we speak, and you and I, Mr Speaker, have had letters about this, we do not have the time to wait. What is the Government going to do to protect creatives and their work?”
Sir Chris replied: “Copyright law stands firmly behind creative industries today and will for the future.
“We will do absolutely nothing to undermine the fact that this country is truly great, one of the few great countries in the world that is able to boast of itself as a content superpower.
“And anything that we do in relation to AI and copyright will only proceed if we can make sure that there is more control and more remuneration for the creative industries at the end of it, rather than less.”
Conservative former minister Sir Desmond Swayne said the rise in employers’ national insurance would be “very damaging” for the creative industry but the minister could “make it up to them by restoring Baroness Beeban Kidron’s amendment to the Data Bill.”
Baroness Kidron’s amendment would require internet scrapers and AI models to comply with UK copyright law and to abide by a set of procedures.
Sir Chris said: “We’ve just taken it out of the Bill for very precise reasons, which is that we don’t think that they will make the blindest bit of difference to the financial support provided to creative industries today. That’s why we’re not supporting them.”
Earlier in the session, shadow culture secretary Stuart Andrew also raised the issue of employers’ national insurance.
He said: “National insurance bills will be falling on the door mats of charities across the country, and they will now have to find another £1.4 billion to pay for Labour’s job tax.
“Now, whilst it’s right the Government have provided compensation to the police and local authorities, etc, why have charities who provide support to the most vulnerable been left out?”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the Government has “more than doubled the employment allowance to protect the smallest charities and business”, meaning that “more than half of those with national insurance contribution liabilities will either be better off or see no change next year”.
Mr Andrew said the previous Conservative government had “supported charities through the pandemic with millions and millions of pounds” and claimed that “one charity a day is closing because of Government decisions”.
Ms Nandy replied: “This is just an absolute rewriting of history. I am old enough to remember their charities minister telling charities on his first day in the job that they ought to stick to their knitting.
“This Government is determined to treat charities with the respect that they are owed.”
The Culture Secretary was referring to Brooks Newmark, who was minister for civil society in David Cameron’s government in 2014, and said charities should “stick to their knitting” and “keep out of the realm of politics”.
