Paul McCartney Voices Concerns Over AI and Copyright

Paul McCartney has expressed his concerns to the UK government regarding potential changes to copyright laws that he believes may allow artificial intelligence companies to exploit artists.

The government is currently reviewing whether to permit tech companies to use copyrighted material for the purpose of training AI models, unless creators specifically choose to opt out.

In an interview with the BBC, McCartney shared that such a change could make it harder for artists to retain control over their work and could undermine the creative industries in the UK.

“Young people come in, write beautiful songs, and they don’t own them—anyone can just take them,” said the former Beatle, who is now 82 years old. This interview will be aired on Sunday, with a preview released by the BBC on Saturday.

He further noted, “The truth is, money ends up somewhere. When it comes to streaming platforms, someone is getting it, and it should be the person who created it, not some tech giant somewhere.”

The UK’s Labour government states its ambition to position the country as a global leader in AI. In December, they announced a consultation on how copyright law can enable creators and rights holders to have control over, and seek remuneration for, the use of their works in AI training while also ensuring that AI developers have easy access to high-quality creative content.

In response to these developments, editors, artists’ organizations, and media companies, including The Associated Press, have united to form the Creative Rights Coalition in AI to oppose any weakening of copyright protections.

“We are the people, you are the government. You are supposed to protect us. That is your job,” McCartney asserted. “So, you know, if you're promoting a bill, make sure to protect creative thinkers, creative artists, or you won’t have them.”

Paul, AI, Copyright, Artists