The Impending AI Threat and the Future of Creative Industries
Science fiction has long captivated our imaginations with tales of machines and hyper-intelligent beings invading Earth and taking over humanity. This concept, deeply entrenched in our cultural narrative since HG Wells penned his 1898 classic The War of the Worlds, has recently taken on a more alarming reality. As we navigate the complexities of artificial intelligence, the specter of AI potentially eradicating humanity is no longer a distant fantasy. Notably, Geoffrey Hinton, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist often hailed as the “godfather of AI,” has expressed a chilling forecast—a “10 to 20 percent” chance that AI could lead to human extinction within the next three decades.
However, beyond the dramatic implications of human extinction, AI brings forth immediate and pressing concerns. The UK Government’s proposed amendments to copyright law pose significant threats to the livelihoods of creative professionals and the very fabric of the arts sector. These legal changes aim to facilitate AI companies in accessing and exploiting creative content without seeking permission or providing compensation to the original creators.
Corporate giants, rapidly rising to prominence in the AI landscape, are eagerly anticipating the potential to exploit high-quality content—be it literature, music, photography, scripts, or artwork—without any financial remuneration for the creators. This scenario inevitably leads to a troubling future where writers and artists find themselves lacking the motivation to create the exceptional work that has historically characterized British culture. Why should they toil for free, enriching large, impersonal corporations instead of receiving due recognition and compensation for their talents?
The very essence of creativity—expressing one’s unique vision—often comes with the hope of making a living from such endeavors. Artists and writers do not produce their work merely to benefit corporate entities, often at their own expense. For a government that has staked its future on promoting economic growth, taking steps to grant free access to artistic content would be a self-defeating maneuver. The creative industries contributed an estimated £125 billion to the UK economy last year and employed around 2.4 million individuals, serving as a vital source of soft power and cultural influence for the nation.
To jeopardize this source of revenue and employment appears to be an unwise course of action. Yet, this is precisely what the proposed copyright law threatens to do. I am a strong advocate for free enterprise and the ability of businesses to generate profits. Capitalism, as a concept, fosters wealth creation and empowers individuals to enhance their lives through their skills and efforts.
Protecting the Rights of Creatives
Nonetheless, the rights of creative individuals—artists and writers—must also be safeguarded. Their contributions stem from a wellspring of individual talent, creativity, and hard work, just as much as the tech moguls and billionaires who have come to dominate today’s economic landscape. The proposed law changes would grant AI firms the ability to exploit artists’ work without compensation, creating a glaring imbalance.
Making a living in the creative arts is notoriously challenging, while some AI companies boast valuations in the billions. Yet, the proposed legal alterations favor these already wealthy corporations at the expense of those laboring in the arts. The Government, which claims to champion the underprivileged, is inadvertently strengthening the powerful. It feels as if they are allowing Goliath to squash David, which is counterintuitive for any administration that purports to support the arts.
Many voices, particularly from the creative sectors, are now calling for the Government to reconsider its approach. While it’s easy to dismiss these calls as self-serving, the issue transcends the interests of a single sector or group. The national interest is at stake when it comes to matters of copyright and intellectual property. Britain’s identity and much of its wealth are intricately linked to our creative output. It defies logic for a government to undermine this crucial source of national prosperity. We must protect our golden goose from a government that appears unaware of the potential damage it could inflict.
Kwasi Kwarteng is a former Conservative MP. He served as chancellor between September and October 2022 under Liz Truss.
