“You say you want a revolution…”
That iconic line from Paul McCartney and John Lennon feels freshly resonant today, as over 400 of the UK’s most celebrated artists – including McCartney himself, Elton John, Dua Lipa, Kate Bush, and Ian McKellen – sound the alarm over what they see as a seismic threat to creative rights in the age of artificial intelligence.
What do the Artists Want?
In an emotional open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, these cultural giants urge the government to rethink a proposed legal regime that would allow AI developers to train on copyrighted material without prior consent. With Parliament poised to vote on key AI legislation next week, the artists warn that unless changes are made, Britain risks “giving our work away at the behest of a handful of powerful overseas tech companies.”
“This is about more than artistic pride,” the letter reads. “It’s about future livelihoods, economic growth, and our standing as a global creative force.” The artists argue that the so-called “opt-out” system unfairly shifts the burden onto creators while benefiting “a handful of powerful overseas tech companies.”
The letter comes ahead of a pivotal vote Monday in the House of Lords, where lawmakers will consider an amendment requiring AI companies to notify copyright holders when their work is used for model training. Proponents say the measure would bring basic transparency and accountability to an industry that has so far operated in a regulatory gray zone.
Artists Vs. AI
The government has said it will investigate the economic impact of the rules and produce reports on transparency and the feasibility of the “opt-out” approach. But the artists aren’t impressed – they see this as window dressing that doesn’t fix the real problem.
What they want is straightforward: AI companies should ask for permission before using someone’s creative work, not just announce they’ve used it after the fact.
The vote next week could shape the UK’s direction on this issue. Will the country make it easy for tech companies to move fast with AI? Or will it stand up for artists and ensure their work is protected and respected?
Using Tipranks’ Comparison Tool, we’ve gathered five publicly traded companies in the music industry that could be indirectly affected by the outcome of this copyright battle:
