supportING creatives against the use of AI

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Big Tech companies ignored the existing copyrights of creatives' work and stole the work by using it to train their AI systems. This means when those generate material it is generated from the work of writers, artists, and other creatives. It enables the AI systems to copy the work of a creative and use it to produce its 'own' in a similar style. 

The UK Government is proposing that we ignore what big tech has done and allow the copyright infringement to take place. It suggests that creatives who object to this happening should opt out of the system by contacting individual tech companies and stating so.

Each creative produces a number of works. This work will be produced using a number of technologies on a number of systems. Imagine one piece of work appearing on 5 websites and was produced using 3 software products or applications. To object to AI then using that work, the creative would have to contact 15 different companies to raise objections.

I personally have written over 150 prose poems. To object to each one being used, I would have to contact tech companies a minimum of 2,250 times. 

As can be seen, this idea of putting the emphasis on individual creatives to opt out is just not practical. They just don't have the resources. Big Tech companies do. They also have the financial resources. Considering they stole the work, the onus should be on the AI tech companies to seek permission to use it.

As cross-bench peer  Baroness Beeban Kidron stated: “I can think of no government policy in any other sector that makes a citizen or business proactively opt out of the market – a corner shop from which you can steal, unless they post a message saying you must not. '

Creatives that produce work you love are usually on a low income. The average UK writer earns around £7,000 from their writing. Yet the creative industry itself makes a lot of money for the UK coffers. By giving big tech free rain, we endanger that important contribution to our GDP.

AI tech companies are being given a free pass to cut the income of creatives. The creative industry will just become something only the wealthiest can do. If you want to ensure a diversity of voices, action needs to be taken.

Write to your local MP to object to their plans. Halt the misuse of creatives work to train AI . Add your name to online petitions. Make a noise.