Sir Paul McCartney has cautioned the British government to protect copyright laws to prevent artificial intelligence companies from stealing the work of artists.
In an interview to be published on Sunday, the legendary former Beatle told the BBC that proposed changes to copyright laws could enable “rip off” technology that would make it impossible for up-and-coming musicians and artists to make a living.
"When we were kids in Liverpool, we found a job that we loved, but it also paid the bills", warning the proposals could remove the incentive for writers and artists and result in a "loss of creativity,” McCartney said.
The government claims its intention is to deliver legal certainty through a copyright regime that gives creators “real control” and transparency. The AI Opportunities Action Plan also aims to boost growth in the technology while positioning the U.K. as a global leader in AI innovation.
“You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they don’t own it, and they don’t have anything to do with it. And anyone who wants can just rip it off,” the 82-year-old McCartney said to the outlet’s Laura Kuenssberg.
The U.K. government is currently advising on proposals that would permit AI companies to use material that is available online without adhering to copyright if they are using it for text or data mining. Generative AI learns from massive amounts of data in the form of images, music and text to create new content that has the illusion of being made by a human being.
“The truth is, the money’s going somewhere. When it gets on the streaming platforms, somebody is getting it, and it should be the person who created it. It shouldn’t be some tech giant somewhere.”
The proposals aim to give creators a “rights reservation” or the ability to opt out, yet critics argue it is not possible for an individual writer or artist to notify thousands of different AI service providers that they do not want their content used in that way, or to monitor what has happened to their work across the whole internet.
“We’re the people, you’re the government. You’re supposed to protect us. That’s your job,” McCartney added. “So you know, 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.”
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