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The Creative Rights in AI Coalition has issued a strong response to the UK government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, cautioning against adopting the European Union’s AI regulatory approach and rejecting claims of legal uncertainty in the UK’s copyright framework.

Following the Prime Minister’s commitment to implement the Plan’s recommendations, the Coalition called on the government to ensure that all options from the Copyright and AI Consultation, including stricter enforcement of existing copyright laws with transparency requirements, remain under consideration.

The Coalition expressed concern over suggestions that the UK emulate the EU’s AI Act, which is still in the process of implementation. “The EU’s opt-out regime raises persistent questions about workability,” the statement noted. “This serves as a real-time warning for the UK about imitating regimes that have shown no signs of being effective. The UK should learn from the EU regime’s shortcomings, not blindly imitate it.”

The Coalition also pushed back against claims of uncertainty in the UK’s text and data mining (TDM) regime, emphasizing the clarity of existing copyright law. “It is clear that UK copyright law does not allow text and data mining for commercial purposes without a licence,” the group stated. “The only uncertainty lies in identifying who has been using the UK’s creative crown jewels as training material without permission and how they obtained access.”

The Coalition highlighted the importance of transparency provisions to address concerns over the unauthorized use of UK-produced creative works in training AI systems.

The Coalition urged the UK to prioritize a copyright framework that balances the need for AI innovation with the protection of intellectual property rights. “As the government moves forward with the Action Plan, it is vital to support creative industries by ensuring that UK copyright laws remain robust and transparent,” the statement concluded.

The government has yet to issue a detailed response to the Coalition’s remarks, but the debate underscores the tension between fostering AI innovation and safeguarding creative rights in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.