The Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney has warned that the UK government’s proposed changes to copyright laws would allow AI to “rip off” musicians.
The government is considering an overhaul of the law that would require artists to opt-out if they do not want AI developers to use their content to develop generative AI models.
However, critics have warned that it is not possible for an individual writer or artist to notify thousands of AI providers that they do not want their content to be used for AI training.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, McCartney said: “We’re the people, you’re the government.
“You’re supposed to protect us. That’s your hob. So if you’re putting through a bill, make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or you’re not going to have them.”
He added that there is a risk that AI will create a “Wild West” in which copyright is not protected and “anyone who wants can just rip it off”.
Despite his reservations over how the technology is trained, McCartney is no stranger to the power of AI. In 2023, McCartney and fellow surviving Beatle, Sir Ringo Starr, used AI to extract the vocals from an unfinished demo left by John Lennon to produce a new song, titled Now and Then.
Large language models (LLMs), such as OpenAI’s GPT, which underpins ChatGPT, rely on mining vast amounts of data like text, images and music to generate human-like outputs.
Given this is the case, there are a growing number of lawsuits challenging the unlicensed use of intellectual property for AP training.
In September, the New York Times filed against OpenAI and Microsoft for allegedly violating copyright law by training gen AI models using its content. More recently, Indian book publishers have brought their own suit against OpenAi.
In light of these disputes, developers are now signing deals with publishers for their content. Earlier this month, Google announced that its AI-powered chatbot Gemini will now be powered by news from The Associated Press.
In response to concerns from the UK music industry, a government spokesperson said that the government is “keen to hear the views of the music industry on the proposals” and would only move forward once we are confident that we are delivering clarity, control and transparency for artists and the sector, alongside appropriate access to data for AI innovators”.
“That is why we have launched a consultation to ensure the UK copyright framework offers strong protections for artists with regards to AI,” added the spokesperson.
“Our aim is to deliver legal certainty through a copyright regime that provides creators with real control, and transparency, and helps them licence their content.”
An alternative proposal for artists to opt in to give their permission for their content to be used is set to be put forward in the House of Lords by cross-bench peer Baroness Kidron this week.
