Hey, Creatives, You Are Marginalized. Embrace It
June 20, 2025
Considerations of right and wrong or legality are outdated, apparently. Now, it is about what is practical and expedient. The Times of London reports, “Nick Clegg: Artists’ Demands Over Copyright are Unworkable.” Clegg is both a former British deputy prime minister and former Meta executive. He spoke as the UK’s parliament voted down measures that would have allowed copyright holders to see when their work had been used and by whom (or what). But even that failed initiative falls short of artists’ demands. Writer Lucy Bannerman tells us:
“Leading figures across the creative industries, including Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney, have urged the government not to ‘give our work away’ at the behest of big tech, warning that the plans risk destroying the livelihoods of 2.5 million people who work in the UK’s creative sector. However, Clegg said that their demands to make technology companies ask permission before using copyrighted work were unworkable and ‘implausible’ because AI systems are already training on vast amounts of data. He said: ‘It’s out there already.’”
How convenient. Clegg did say artists should be able to opt out of AI being trained on their works, but insists making that the default option is just too onerous. Naturally, that outweighs the interests of a mere 2.5 million UK creatives. Just how should artists go about tracking down each AI model that might be training on their work and ask them to please not? Clegg does not address that little detail. He does state:
“‘I just don’t know how you go around, asking everyone first. I just don’t see how that would work. And by the way if you did it in Britain and no one else did it, you would basically kill the AI industry in this country overnight. … I think expecting the industry, technologically or otherwise, to preemptively ask before they even start training — I just don’t see. I’m afraid that just collides with the physics of the technology itself.’”
The large technology outfits with the DNA of Silicon Valley has carried the day. So output and be quiet. (And don’t think any can use Mickey Mouse art. Different rules are okay.)
Cynthia Murrell, June 20, 2025
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