Sir Elton John has launched a scathing attack on the Labour government over their handling of artificial intelligence copyright protections in the contentious Data (Use and Access) Bill, labeling them “absolute losers.” The criticism, which has sent shockwaves through Britain’s creative sectors, comes as tensions between the creative community and tech interests escalate during the bill’s final legislative stages.
The legendary musician expressed feeling “incredibly betrayed” by the government’s approach to copyright law as it pertains to AI training on creative works. At the heart of the dispute is an amendment that would have mandated AI developers to disclose all individual works used in their model training processes and ensure compliance with existing copyright laws. Initially introduced by cross-bench peer Baroness Beeban Kidron, this amendment garnered substantial support from prominent creative figures, including Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro and “Bridget Jones’s Diary” writer Helen Fielding.
Despite passing in the House of Lords earlier this year, the amendment was subsequently removed in the House of Commons. A reintroduction attempt by Liberal Democrat MP Victoria Collins was defeated on May 7th by a vote of 287 to 88. The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) described the vote as “disappointing,” while Baroness Kidron argued that the government’s planned impact assessment of the bill did not represent a meaningful concession to creators’ concerns.
The debate has exposed a fundamental tension between two visions for Britain’s economic future. Creative industries argue that unauthorized use of their works to train AI systems threatens their livelihoods and intellectual property rights. In contrast, AI developers and their supporters maintain that restrictive copyright rules would hamper innovation in a sector the government has identified as crucial for economic growth.
“If accepted as it currently stands, the Bill would have far-reaching consequences for the UK’s AI ecosystem, introducing technically difficult and costly legal requirements and stifling innovation at a critical moment for the sector,” said Ayesha Bhatti, head of digital policy for the UK and EU at the Center for Data Innovation. This perspective highlights the complex balance the government must strike between fostering innovation and protecting creators’ rights.
Sir Elton’s remarks represent a significant public relations challenge for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government, which has positioned itself as both pro-business and supportive of Britain’s world-renowned creative sectors. The Culture, Media and Sport Committee has previously acknowledged the issue, with its Chair Caroline Dinenage noting widespread concerns from the creative industries about how their copyrighted works are used to train AI models without consent or compensation.
As the Data (Use and Access) Bill approaches its final hurdles, the government faces mounting pressure to balance its ambitions for AI leadership with the protection of creative rights. The Publishers Association has suggested that licensing arrangements could provide a way forward, compensating creators while allowing for technological advancement. Sir Elton’s intervention has elevated what might otherwise have remained a specialized policy dispute into a high-profile political challenge, potentially forcing the government to reconsider its approach as the bill moves toward becoming law.
