Paul McCartney says proposed AI copyright law will rip off artists

nme.com:

Paul McCartney has criticised proposed changes to copyright law, saying if it goes ahead it will allow AI to rip off artists and result in a “loss of creativity”.The UK government is currently considering altering the copyright law to allow AI developers use of creators’ content on the internet if they are data or text mining to help develop their models.The proposals would give artists or creators a “rights reservation” to opt out, but has been criticised by many who believe it would be impossible for an individual to notify thousands of different AI service providers, or to monitor what has happened to their work across the entire internet.Now, the former Beatle has spoken out against the proposed changes, saying they could remove the monetary incentive for artists to create work and cause a “loss of creativity”.“When we were kids in Liverpool, we found a job that we loved, but it also paid the bills,” he said during an interview on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. “You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they don’t own it, and they don’t have anything to do with it.

And anyone who wants can just rip it off.”“The truth is, the money’s going somewhere… Somebody’s getting paid, so why shouldn’t it be the guy who sat down and wrote Yesterday?”He went on to urge the government to reconsider the changes, saying: “We’re the people, you’re the government!

You’re supposed to protect us. That’s your job.“So you know, if you’re putting through a bill, make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or you’re not going to have them.”The Beatles previously used the technology to restore John Lennon‘s vocals on ‘Now And Then’ the band’s “final” song released in 2023.