Kevin Brennan: Last News

AI deepfakes by law.The push from the government comes after artificial intelligence has been used increasingly more to impersonate the image and voices of those in the public eye without their consent or knowledge.It also comes in light of various British artists – including Jess Glynne, Mumford and Sons, Sam Smith, Robert Smith and Zayn Malik – signing an open letter last month, calling for the government to enforce wider protection against the technology.Now, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Music has called on the UK government to regulate the use of AI in music through law, and enforce “a specific personality right to protect creators and artists from misappropriation and false endorsement”.The push came via a report shared earlier today (May 1), and highlighted how a law should be issued to protect celebrities from the risk of AI becoming “a destroyer of creators’ livelihoods”.As highlighted by BBC News, the cross-party group’s chair, Labour MP Kevin Brennan said politicians must “confront the danger that unfettered developments in AI could pose to the UK’s musicians and music businesses” and warned that “AI can be a great servant but would be a terrible master.”The MPs also made reference to a new law passed in the US – the Elvis Act – which prohibits the use of AI to mimic an artist’s voice without their permission, and insisted that “the UK [should] not fall behind our international competitors”.At time of writing, the UK does have regulations in place to prevent people from misrepresenting others when offering goods or services, but the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Music argued how much protection it could offer in relation to AI technology and deepfakes.In response to the issues put forward, a

@Commonswomequ in their 'Misogyny in Music' report?Penny Mordaunt's answer – yes. pic.twitter.com/fhOEHwE5su— Kevin Brennan MP (@KevinBrennanMP) April 25, 2024Published in January, the report warned that women in the music industry face “endemic” misogyny and discrimination and said “urgent action” was required to tackle the issue.The document described the industry as a “boys’ club” where sexual harassment and abuse are common, and the non-reporting of such incidents is high.

We’re at a loss for words right now.

Kevin Brennan, a former Saturday Night Live writer, has shrugged off criticism of jokes he made about the death of Friends star Matthew Perry.

10 per cent of the UK’s smaller venues close by the end of 2023.The plans for the new review were shared by DCMS Select Committee Chair Caroline Dinenage MP, and a full report of its findings will be published next year. Dinenage has also confirmed that a call for evidence will be made in the near future with written submissions invited.It will further see witnesses called to parliament, to enable the committee to understand the current crisis and make recommendations to all stakeholders on how to address it.“One of the pillars during my campaign to become the Chair of the DCMS Select Committee was to say that we need to do a full review of grassroots music venues in the UK, the challenges that they are facing, but also what the opportunities are and what more we can do to support them.

An MP has called for immediate action to safeguard young people from resellers who are charging exorbitant prices for Taylor Swift concert tickets. Labour former minister Kevin Brennan expressed his dismay at the inflated prices of the American singer's upcoming Eras tour tickets on secondary ticketing sites, stating that as a father of a Swiftie, he was appalled by this exploitation.

Tim Blake Nelson, Uzo Aduba, Simon Rex, Nina Arianda, Jim Gaffigan, José María Yazpik and Joey Lauren Adams have rounded out the cast of, Providence, a comedy from Dylan Sellers and Chris Parker’s Limelight and David Boies and Zack Schiller’s Boies Schiller Entertainment. Lily James, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Himesh Patel are set to star with Potsy Ponciroli directing. Michael Vukadinovich penned the script. Limelight and BSE will fully finance and produce, along with Shannon Houchins’ Hideout Pictures.

May is now appearing on the horizon, which means this year’s Great Escape will be with us very soon. Yesterday 120 more artists were added to the bill, including Alfie Templeman, Blackhaine, Chrissi, MUNA, Spill Tab, STONE, Bru-C, Casisdead, Kid Kapichi, Lido Pimienta and many more.

UK songwriter organisation the Ivors Academy has a new Chair in the form of Tom Gray, the songwriter, Gomez musician and founder of the #brokenrecord campaign.That campaign, of course, worked closely with the #fixstreaming initiative instigated by the Ivors Academy and the Musicians’ Union in pushing for and then contributing to the UK Parliament’s inquiry into the economics of streaming. And then in supporting the private members bill proposed by Kevin Brennan MP which, had it passed, would have made some of the copyright reforms proposed by that inquiry.Gray takes over from Crispin Hunt – another artist and songwriter who has been very vocal in the big streaming debate – and who announced that he was standing down as Chair of the Ivors just last week.The Academy has rejigged its structures in recent years, and when commenting on his appointment as the organisation’s new Chair, Gray also explained the process behind that appointment.