Hang onto your hats, folks! A group of British MPs, from both sides of the aisle, are putting their foot down. They’re telling Rishi Sunak and his team, “Look here, it’s high time you put our musicians and artists before those AI whiz kids.”
Here’s the scoop: the government’s been cooking up this plan, right? They want to let AI brains – those fancy computer programs – gobble up our books, music, and art, and spit them out like they’re yesterday’s jam. But on August 30th, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee threw a spanner in the works. Their report said, loud and clear, “Stop treating art like it’s just another ingredient for your AI soup! Do you even get how important our creators are?”
No country will be untouched by AI, and no country alone will solve the challenges posed by this technology.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) August 24, 2023
So we need an international approach.
That’s exactly what our AI safety summit is set to achieve.https://t.co/OLOhnrhZ2M
They’re saying, and I couldn’t agree more, that the government’s just not getting it. They seem to think it’s okay to play fast and loose with creators’ rights. This isn’t some fly-by-night decision. Heck, even PM Rishi Sunak, a big AI fanboy, needs to “make amends” after trying to slide this one past the goalposts.
Oh, and get this: the committee, 11 MPs mind you, are telling Sunak, “Hey buddy, AI’s growing faster than a weed in summer. We’ve got to make sure our artists aren’t left in the dust!” Dame Caroline Dinenage, who’s heading up the team, put it bluntly. She said the cries and pleas from our beloved artists should ring loud enough for the bigwigs to, you know, actually listen.
Now, here’s the kicker: it ain’t just the committee who’s riled up. Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, head honcho of UK Music, said the government’s giving a thumbs-up to “musical theft”. Even Universal Music, a big player, warned we’re diving headfirst into trouble if we let AI just take and take.
“There are huge benefits and destructive impacts of AI.”
Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, chief executive of UK Music, tells @mattfrei that generative AI should be used to enhance the music industry – without replacing humans. pic.twitter.com/3TtglAhx08— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) May 16, 2023
Last month, the government had this bright idea to throw a whopping $130 million into a big ol’ bucket of computer chips. Why? To make the UK the AI kingpin by 2024. But here’s a wild thought: how about respecting our artists first?
There you have it, folks. The ball’s in the government’s court now. Let’s see if they can score a win for our creators. Fingers crossed! 🤞
