Overview
- The government suffered its fifth defeat in the House of Lords over an amendment that would oblige AI firms to disclose and license copyrighted material used in training models.
- Sir Elton John called on ministers to add transparency and full-permission provisions to the bill, branding Labour the “ostrich party” for ignoring creative sector warnings.
- Peers led by Baroness Kidron backed the amendment by 221 votes to 116, aiming to commit the government to table a bill forcing AI companies to declare the copyrighted works they have used.
- The £126 billion creative industry employing 2.4 million people warns that unregulated AI training amounts to “theft on a grand scale” and threatens artists’ livelihoods.
- Ministers are reviewing responses to a consultation on the copyright shake-up before deciding whether to accept, adjust or reject the Lords’ transparency demands in the Commons next week.