Lucy Frazer confident artists will 'get paid' when their work is used by AI

She said the Government is working with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to introduce a voluntary code of practice, as it wants to ensure “creative excellence and unique products are protected and artists get paid for that work”.

It comes after Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee told Ministers they must not allow developers to use copyrighted songs and books without charge and “act to ensure that creators are well rewarded”.

The cross-party group of MPs also said the Government should abandon plans to introduce copyright exemptions for AI text and data mining, claiming the move risks reducing a range of artistic creations to “mere inputs in AI development”.

The rapidly advancing technology is trained using copyrighted material, including books, websites and songs, so it can identify patterns and trends and then learn how to make decisions, predictions and recommendations.

But authors, actors and other artists are concerned that companies could use AI to recreate similar versions of their work and sell it without compensating them.

Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, chief executive of British trade body UK Music, has warned that some companies could “take music they do not own, use copies of it to train an AI, and then reap the commercial rewards with a legally clean new song”.

When asked if new legislation is needed to strengthen protections, Ms Frazer said the Government is “looking very closely” at this issue and the IPO is drawing up a code of practice.

The Government hopes this new set of rules will make it easier for AI developers to access the work they need, by allowing them to buy licences, but also provide protections for the copyright holders.

It also said developers will follow this code of practice on a “voluntary basis”, but if that approach does not work “legislation could be considered”.

“When people produce original work, like musicians and people who produce films and write books, it’s really important that their creative excellence and unique products are protected and artists get paid for that work,” Ms Fraser said.

The Conservative Minister returned to her home city of Leeds this week to meet with figures from various creative institutions, including Opera North and Screen Yorkshire.

They discussed the Government’s plan to help the sector rapidly expand and create an extra one million jobs by 2030, by providing investment, tax cuts and support for various training schemes.

The strategy promises to benefit thousands of businesses working in TV and film, music, performing arts and fashion.

“Every day these businesses grow Yorkshire's reputation for creativity and today we discussed how we can work together to maximise the potential of our creative industries, while creating more growth and good jobs,” Ms Frazer said.