18.05.2025: Sir Elton John and UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl spoke to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg about the Government’s proposals to let AI firms steal the music of music creators and music businesses without seeking their permission or paying them.
Speaking to Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on the flagship BBC One politics show on Sunday, the music legend said he felt “incredibly betrayed” by the Government over its proposals to exempt tech firms from copyright rules. He also described the Government as “absolute losers”.
Sir Elton said he was “very angry” about the plans and warned that plans to let AI firms use creators’ content without paying would be “committing theft, thievery on a high scale”. He said the danger was that young artists did not have the resources to fight the big tech firms.
The intervention came after the Government rejected proposals last week from the House of Lords to force AI companies to disclose what material they were using to train their AI bots.
Asked for comment by Laura, Tom Kiehl said: “It appears the Government is on the brink of offering the UK’s world-leading music industry as a sacrificial lamb in its efforts to cosy up to American-based tech giants.
“As one of the sectors that the Government has named as a key area in its drive for growth, it would be a catastrophic mistake to let AI firms steal the fantastic work of our creative industries without needing to pay the people who created it or ask their permission.
“Sir Keir Starmer holds the dreams of the next generation of singers, songwriters, musicians, music creators and music companies in his hands. He must not sell them down the river and allow all that talent to be crushed by letting soulless AI bots plunder their work.”
A Government spokesperson told the BBC that “no changes” to copyright laws would be “considered unless we are completely satisfied they work for creators”.
On Monday May 12, the House of Lords voted by a 147 majority to amend the Data (Use and Access) Bill to add transparency requirements with the aim of ensuring that copyright holders have to give permission for their work to be used.
However, MPs in the House of Commons voted last Wednesday to reject the change, meaning the Bill will continue to go back and forth between the two Houses until they an agreement is reached.
You can read the full BBC story with a clip from Laura’s interview with Sir Elton and Tom’s comments on the Corporation’s website here.
You can see the full Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show here.
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