Paul McCartney has added his voice—and a new “bonus track”—to a rising campaign demanding the UK government block technology companies from training AI models on copyrighted music without permission or payment. His contribution comes as British creatives warn that ministers are leaning toward US-style light regulation, reinforced by pressure from Donald Trump’s White House to allow AI developers broad access to copyrighted material.
The protest album, coordinated by copyright campaigner and composer Ed Newton-Rex, spells out the message: “the British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.” Major artists including Sam Fender, Kate Bush, Hans Zimmer and the Pet Shop Boys have already joined the effort.
McCartney, who has been outspoken about AI’s threat to emerging musicians, cautioned that unregulated training could “wipe out” pathways for new writers. Bush echoed similar fears, asking: “In the music of the future, will our voices go unheard?”
The government is weighing a potential copyright exception for “text and data mining,” a move critics say would enrich AI giants like OpenAI, Google, Anthropic and xAI at the expense of the UK’s £125bn creative sector. A legal framework is unlikely before 2026, even as ministers deepen partnerships with major AI firms.
This debate follows other recent moves by Big Tech to expand AI capabilities—such as Google’s enhanced travel offerings and smart checkout tools in Shopping, highlighted in another recent report.
