Publishing Association urges Government to enforce tighter laws on AI around intellectual property

With the rise and rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the UK stands at a pivotal juncture where the protection of intellectual property (IP) rights is becoming increasingly significant.  

The UK publishing industry, a sector worth about £7 billion, is urging Chancellor Rishi Sunak to ensure the safeguarding of intellectual property rights from the potential repercussions of AI advancements. 

A call to the Prime Minister 

In a proactive move, the Publishers Association (PA) has reached out to the Prime Minister with a pressing request: to respect UK intellectual property law and obtain necessary licenses before any content is absorbed by AI systems. This call to action comes ahead of a Government-hosted summit on the developing technology, scheduled to take place at Bletchley Park in November. 

The AI Safety Summit 

The forthcoming AI Safety Summit aims to establish regulatory guardrails for the safe and responsible development of AI. The summit is seen as a golden opportunity to address the concerns of the creative industries, which fear being overlooked in the broader discourse on AI safety. 

The concerns of the publishing industry 

The publishing industry harbours deep concerns over the potential misuse of creative content such as text and imagery from newspapers, books, art, and music, which are currently being used to train AI models. The fear is that without IP and copyright protection, AI systems could create cheap, ripped-off versions of authentic work, thereby undermining the value of original creations. 

The House of Commons Culture, Media, and Sport Committee has also voiced concerns, urging the Government to prevent AI product developers from training technology via copyrighted works of art. The committee accentuates the necessity to respect and uphold the rights of creators in the AI development process. 

Looking ahead 

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is actively seeking insights from industry executives to shape future policymaking, with a commitment to a balanced and pragmatic approach to AI use across creative industries. In doing so, it is hoped that the power of AI will continue to innovate without infringing on the rights of creators.  

At Palmers Solicitors, our team has a wealth of experience in intellectual property law and is ready to assist you with any help you may require. Contact us today for more information.