UK arts must not be sacrificed for speculative AI gains, peers say

The Guardian - World NewsEN 3 min read 100% complete by Dan Milmo Global technology editorMarch 6, 2026 at 07:00 AM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

A UK House of Lords committee has warned the government against sacrificing the creative industries for potential AI gains. The committee's report urges ministers to develop a licensing regime for AI's use of creative works and abandon proposals allowing tech firms to use copyrighted material without permission. This call comes as the government prepares to release an economic impact assessment of proposed copyright law changes by March 18th. The committee chair emphasized the creative sector's current economic value, contributing £146 billion annually, and cautioned against weakening copyright protections to attract US tech companies. The report also recommends supporting UK-developed AI models, requiring AI companies to disclose training data, and granting creators greater control over their work.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Elton John 40% United States 40% Labour Party 50% Barbara Keeley ×270% House of Lords ×380% AI ×885% United Kingdom ×490%

Keywords

copyright 90% artificial intelligence 90% creative industries 80% licensing regime 70% intellectual property 60% house of lords 50% economic impact assessment 50% uk economy 50% data usage 40%