Artificial Intelligence: Creative Content

Lord Black of Brentwood Excerpts

Thursday 15th May 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Black of Brentwood]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential value of the global market for creative content from the United Kingdom for use in training artificial intelligence models.

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper and declare my interest as deputy chairman of the Telegraph Media Group.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Twycross) (Lab)]

The Government recognise the significant global value of UK creative content in AI development. As part of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we are exploring how to unlock this value and ensure that creators and rights holders are properly rewarded. We support industry-led licensing models and are considering next steps following the consultation on copyright and AI to ensure that the UK’s copyright framework remains fit for the AI era.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

Does the Minister agree that for AI businesses to flourish here they need access to our world-class content—which will only be produced if content creators have effective copyright protection? This House recognised that on Monday during the passage of the Data (Use and Access) Bill. It is deeply disappointing to learn that, rather than act decisively to give creators transparency, as we voted for—holding AI firms accountable for copyright theft, seeing deals struck and allowing the UK to play that leading role in the global AI supply chain—the Government are manipulating parliamentary procedure arrogantly to dismiss our views. Is it now the Government’s extraordinary position that, if it costs money to enforce the law, we must just let criminals get away with theft? I reject that and will be backing the amendment tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, if she brings it back next Monday. This House must hold firm.

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

My Lords, I think the Government should hold firm, in fact. As noble Lords will be well aware, the principle of financial privilege is used frequently by the Commons, as is its right. It was used frequently by the previous Government and has been used a number of times by this Government. This country fought a civil war over taxes and the primacy of the Commons. It is not for this House to criticise the other place for using financial privilege as a reason to reject an amendment.