The prominent film director and peer, Baroness Beeban Kidron, who is spearheading a campaign against government plans to grant artificial intelligence (AI) companies free access to British-produced content, has expressed grave concerns over the potential sacrifice of working-class jobs within the creative industries. Known for her acclaimed films, including Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason, Baroness Kidron argues that the government’s proposals to alter copyright laws in order to attract AI developers to the UK would effectively hand over the hard-earned creations of writers and artists.
The government’s initiative aims to leverage generative AI to stimulate economic growth by allowing tech firms to train their AI models using UK-created content—spanning music, film, and news media—without requiring permission from copyright holders, unless they actively choose to “opt out” of the system being proposed. This controversial plan has ignited outrage across the UK’s robust £126 billion creative sector, which employs approximately 2.4 million individuals. Renowned figures like Kate Bush and Michael Morpurgo have voiced their strong opposition, warning that such a move could jeopardize a vital segment of the economy.
The i Paper is actively supporting the Make It Fair campaign, which advocates for the preservation of existing copyright laws that grant creators control over their own intellectual property. Baroness Kidron highlighted the troubling disconnect between government officials and the realities of the creative workforce. She lamented, “While ministers may enjoy mingling with A-list celebrities, they are disregarding the livelihoods of thousands of hardworking individuals behind the scenes in film, television, and music. It is not the government’s prerogative to give away their work. The industry is primarily made up of working-class people, with 70 percent of them based outside London.”
Baroness Kidron, who has garnered experience in both Hollywood and European cinema, has led several amendments in the House of Lords regarding the Data Bill, which the government is utilizing to push through its proposed changes. These amendments, which are expected to be rejected when the legislation returns to the House of Commons, would require AI companies to adhere to existing UK copyright laws, regardless of their location, and mandate transparency so that copyright holders are informed about when, where, and how their work is utilized by AI models.
Despite the government’s stance that the current copyright framework is “holding back” both the creative and AI sectors—a situation that “cannot continue”—no final decisions have been made on the proposed changes following a consultation period that ended this week, amid significant discontent from various Labour MPs.
How many people are employed in the creative industries?
According to government statistics, the creative industries in the UK employ roughly 2.4 million individuals. Notably, over a quarter (28 percent) of these jobs are self-employed, which is double the national average across other sectors. The breakdown of employment in the creative industries is as follows:
- IT and software – 1,022,000
- Music, performing and visual arts – 311,000
- Advertising and marketing – 260,000
- Film, TV, radio and photography – 256,000
- Publishing – 187,000
- Design and fashion – 140,000
- Architecture – 122,000
- Museums, galleries and libraries – 91,000
- Crafts – 10,000
Baroness Kidron expressed her discomfort with the notion that the government might propose a compromise by introducing an “opt-in” system for certain creative sectors. Under this arrangement, some industries would have an automatic right to have their copyright recognized and charge licensing fees, while others, such as news media, would remain under the “opt-out” framework. She firmly stated, “The creative community unanimously agrees that copyright is inherently linked to the creative work itself; it is not for the government to determine whose copyright is deemed essential. This is the strength of the current system.”
The peer advocates for a focus on nurturing Britain’s own AI sectors and emphasizes the importance of allowing creatives to contribute to universal access initiatives, such as Creative Commons. However, she insists that the fundamental principle of copyright holders maintaining control over their work must remain unchanged. “We should be fostering UK AI firms and SMEs on an equitable basis, rather than diverting data and resources to Silicon Valley,” she asserted.
As ministers face increasing pressure to reconsider the contentious changes to copyright laws, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has stated that he is “open-minded” about finding a path forward that supports both the AI sector and the creative industries.
Jobs linked to media production at risk from AI
The Office for National Statistics conducted an analysis of job automation risks affecting 20 million workers in England in 2019. The findings indicated that the average risk of job loss due to automation was 7 percent; however, various roles associated with media production, as highlighted by Baroness Kidron, are likely to face much higher risks. The risks for specific occupations are as follows:
- 61% – Scaffolders, stagers, and riggers
- 53% – Carpenters and joiners
- 51% – Electricians
- 49% – TV, video, and audio engineers
- 44% – Actors
- 35% – Authors and writers
- 35% – Artists
- 29% – Producers and directors
Mr. Kyle acknowledged that AI technology requires vast amounts of data to function efficiently, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that individuals who strongly oppose its use have the ability to opt out, thus protecting their material from being included in data harvesting. He concluded, “I will not allow one side to pressure me into making a choice between one or the other. We must discover a mutually beneficial path forward, as both the creative industries and the AI technology sector are vital for Britain’s future.”
