Government backtracks on AI and copyright after outcry

The UK government has backtracked on its position on copyright and AI, stating it must take time to "get this right". Its original position - allowing AI companies to use copyrighted works to train their models with an opt-out option - received major backlash from the likes of Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa. "We have listened," Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said on Wednesday, saying the government no longer favours that approach. However, the government's position is now unclear, saying it "no longer has a preferred option" for what to do next. Chief executive of UK Music Tom Kiehl hailed the development as "a major victory for campaigners" and said it will work with government. Kendall said the government had "engaged extensively" with people in the creative and AI industries. It is attempting to balance the interests of the two sectors by giving creatives control of how their work is used, while recognising AI models need to be trained on work such as writing, music and video. In a report published on Wednesday, the government said there was "no consensus on how these objectives should be achieved". In a separate impact assessment, it recognised the contributions both the creativ