In a recent interview with the BBC, Beatles musician Paul McCartney cautioned about the potential misuse of artificial intelligence by stating that it could be exploited to "rip off" artists. McCartney urged the British government to ensure that forthcoming copyright reforms safeguard the interests of the creative industries.
The music and film sectors worldwide are coming to terms with the implications of AI technologies capable of generating content based on popular works without compensating the original creators. Although a proposal was made in December in Britain to permit artists to license their work for AI training purposes, there is also consideration for an exception to allow broad use of materials by AI developers if rights are not reserved.
McCartney highlighted his concern that without proper copyright protections, only tech giants would benefit from AI advancements. He emphasized the importance of shielding creative individuals to maintain a thriving artistic community, "AI is a great thing, but it shouldn’t rip creative people off… Make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or you're not going to have them. As simple as that."
As the government works on copyright reforms to address legal uncertainties regarding AI applications in Britain, McCartney, who employed AI in 2023 to recreate the voice of late Beatles member John Lennon, underscored the risk artists face if changes are not managed correctly, "You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they don’t own it, and they don’t have anything to do with it, and anyone who wants can just rip it off.”
He also raised the issue of fair compensation for creators, stating, "The truth is, the money's going somewhere, you know, and it gets on the streaming platforms - somebody's getting it, and it should be the person who created it. It shouldn't just be some tech giant somewhere."