Campaign launched against AI tech firms' content use

'Protect the creative industries - it's only fair,' say artists

- HOLLY EVANS

The UK's creative industries have launched a new campaign to fight back against their content being used for free by global tech AI firms.

Campaigners have warned that the arts face an “existential threat” from AI models that scrape creative content from the internet without permission or payment.

It comes at the end of a government consultation which will determine whether to let tech companies use content without permission unless the creators specifically say “no”.

Those affected could include artists, authors, journalists, illustrators, photographers, filmmakers, scriptwriters, singers and songwriters, who argue that they will now have to police their work.

The campaign has stressed that if the government legitimises this use of content, the impact will be devastating on an industry that collectively brings in £120bn per year to the UK economy.