Iconic British singer Elton John has slammed the UK Labour Government for its handling of AI and copyright laws. Elton has called the government “absolute losers” whilst adding that he feels “incredibly betrayed” over plans to exempt major tech firms pursuing AI from aspects of copyright law.
Whilst speaking on BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg’s show on Sunday, the ‘Yellow Brick Road’ singer opened up about how the ministers’ plans to allow AI firms to use artists’ content without paying them would be “committing theft, thievery on a high scale”.
The UK government’s proposals to allow tech firms to use copyrighted material as training data has been a subject under fire from numerous big names of the music industry such as Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Dua Lipa, Thom Yorke and Kate Bush.
More than 1000 musicians featured on the silent album ‘Is This What We Want?’ released in February, in protest at the UK government’s planned changes to copyright law. All profits were donated to the music charity Help Musicians. The album, also supported by Billy Ocean, Ed O’Brien of Radiohead and Bastille’s Dan Smith, as well as The Clash, Mystery Jets and Jamiroquai, features sound recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, demonstrating what the artists fear is the potential impact of the proposed law change.
The track-listing for the record simply spells out the message: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.”
Imogen Heap, Yusuf/Cat Stevens and Riz Ahmed have also backed the silent album release as well as Tori Amos and Hans Zimmer. Composer Max Richter, noted how the plans not only have an impact on musicians but “impoverish creators” across the board, from writers to visual artists and beyond.
In 2023, UK music contributed a record £7.6 billion to the economy, external.
In a letter to The Times, signatories including Sir Paul, Lord Lloyd Webber and Sir Stephen Fry said that changes to the law will allow big tech to raid the creative sectors. They were joined by the likes of Bush, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and Sting in opposing plans to change copyright laws.
Criticising Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s team, Elton said they would “rob young people of their legacy and their income”, adding that he thought they were “just being absolute losers, and I’m very angry about it”.
