Elton John spoke out about the U.K. government’s plans to let tech companies use copyright-protected work without permission. Appearing on BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg over the weekend, John noted that the strategy would “rob young people of their legacy and their income.”
“It’s a criminal offense, I think,” John said. “The government are just being absolute losers, and I’m very angry about it.” He added that Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, is a “bit of a moron” and noted that he would take ministers to court if the government did not change its course, saying, “We’ll fight it all the way.” John added that he felt that prime minister Keir Starmer needed to “wise up.”
Starmer has proposed relaxing copyright laws to allow A.I. developers to train their models on any material to which they have lawful access. The proposal would require creators to proactively opt out to stop their work being used. Recently, the government dismissed House of Lords proposals that would have required A.I. companies to disclose the creative material used in developing their systems.
“The danger is for young artists, they haven’t got the resources to keep checking or fight big tech,” John added. “It’s criminal and I feel incredibly betrayed.”
Earlier this month, John was among the over 400 artists who signed a letter calling on Starmer to update copyright laws in the face of A.I. technology. The letter was also signed by Paul McCartney, Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, and Florence Welch, among others. “We, along with 400 other creatives, have signed and sent this letter to the Prime Minister, urging him to give Government support to proposals that would protect copyright in the age of AI,” John wrote on social media.
The letter noted, “Creative copyright is the lifeblood of the creative industries. It recognizes the moral authority we have over our work and provides an income stream for 2.4 million people across the four nations of the United Kingdom. The fight to defend our creative industries has been joined by scores of UK businesses, including those who use and develop AI. We are not against progress or innovation. The creative industries have always been early adopters of technology. Indeed, many of the world’s greatest inventions, from the lightbulb to AI itself, have been a result of UK creative minds grappling with technology.”
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McCartney similar spoke up in a BBC interview earlier this year. “We’re the people, you’re the government. You’re supposed to protect us. That’s your job,” McCartney said. “So if you’re putting through a bill, make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or you’re not gonna have them. If there’s such a thing as a government, it’s their responsibility — I would think — to protect young people to try and enhance that whole thing so it works. So that these people have got job and can enhance the world with wonderful art.”
