UK technology secretary admits AI “Does Lie” amid copyright concerns

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The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, has acknowledged that artificial intelligence “does lie”, as he responded to mounting criticism over the Government’s approach to copyright protection. Speaking on Sunday, Mr Kyle assured that the Government would “never sell downstream” the rights of British artists, while conceding that the technology remains imperfect and can produce misleading content.

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The remarks follow backlash from prominent figures in the creative industries, including Sir Elton John, who described the current situation as “an existential issue”. At the heart of the dispute is the Government’s response to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, which has drawn scrutiny from the House of Lords. Peers have pushed for legislative amendments to guarantee transparency, requiring companies to disclose when and how copyrighted material is used to train AI models.

Mr Kyle admitted he had “mistakenly” given prominence to an “opt-out” clause—where artists would need to explicitly refuse permission for their work to be used—which had been interpreted as the Government’s preferred approach. “I’ve gone back to the drawing board on that,” he told the BBC, stressing that he is listening to the concerns of the creative community. Ministers have confirmed that any reforms will follow a comprehensive review of over 11,500 responses to the recent public consultation on AI and copyright.

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Among the more controversial proposals under consideration had been the idea of granting tech companies free access to British music, literature, and film for AI training purposes, without prior consent or compensation. In response, more than a hundred artists — including Sir Paul McCartney and Kate Bush — signed an open letter last month, urging Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to introduce firm protections to safeguard their work from exploitation.