UK reverses course on AI copyright position after backlash
TL;DR
The UK government has dropped its previous position on AI copyright after significant backlash from the creative sector.
Key Points
- A planned data bill would have allowed AI companies like Google and OpenAI to train on copyrighted material without consent, offering rights holders only an opt-out clause.
- Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said 'We have listened' – but the government now 'no longer has a preferred option' on how to handle the issue.
- UK Music CEO Tom Kiehl called the reversal 'a major victory' and pledged to work with the government on next steps.
Nauti's Take
'We have listened' sounds good but concretely means: the government has no idea what it wants. This is not a policy shift, it is policy avoidance.
For creatives it is a moment to breathe – but not a win until a clear framework follows. Meanwhile the AI giants are sitting on vast training datasets that already exist and can simply wait this out.
Anyone who thinks Google and OpenAI are worried by this pause is underestimating the game being played.
Sources
18.3.26