UK Campaigners Warn Australia Against AI Copyright Plan
Beeban Kidron and Ed Newton-Rex, campaigners who successfully halted the UK's AI copyright plan, have cautioned Australia against adopting a similar approach. They spoke to the Guardian regarding Australia's proposed opt-out model, where AI firms could train on copyrighted works unless creators object.
Australia's government is considering an opt-out system, as revealed in leaked slides from the Attorney-General's Department, according to ABC News. The UK, however, dropped a similar plan in March after a consultation that yielded only 3% support for opt-out among respondents.
Kidron, a film director and House of Lords member, urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to heed the UK's experience:
"He should not squander his reputation by selling Australian creatives down the river."
Newton-Rex, a composer and former AI executive, organized a silent protest album and a book without text, signed by 10,000 writers, to highlight public opposition to AI firms using content without compensation. He emphasized the importance of creators' rights:
"It will take just a moment for people to understand this is not fair."
Despite the tech industry's argument that AI training and fair compensation for creators can coexist, techUK representative Antony Walker suggested that rights holders effectively silenced the debate in the UK.
In Australia, AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic have urged the government to relax copyright rules. OpenAI has expressed difficulties in setting up a training center without legal changes, according to ABC News.
The Attorney-General's office confirmed that consultations are ongoing, emphasizing the need for options that provide creators with meaningful control and fair compensation.