The Conservative leader said the Government’s proposals were ‘bogged down’ in defending artificial intelligence at the expense of creative industries.
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, has criticized the UK Government's plan for artificial intelligence (AI), arguing that Labour's approach risks stifling innovation through overregulation. She accused the Government of prioritizing AI at the expense of safeguarding the UK's creative industries. The Government's consultation on proposals allowing tech firms to use copyrighted material without compensation has faced widespread opposition, with over 1,000 artists, including Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, and Damon Albarn, opposing the plan. Badenoch described AI as a "significant innovation" and called for reforms to data protection regulations to reduce red tape while safeguarding creativity. She criticized the European Union's approach, which she likened to the Government's proposals, as having "only made matters worse." Sir Elton John and Simon Cowell have supported a campaign for artists to "opt-in" to allow their work to be used by tech firms, arguing that placing the burden of opting out on creators is unfair. Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA echoed this sentiment, calling for regulation that supports the creative industries.
