# British celebrities force UK government to reject AI firms' free use of copyrighted work

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-09-27T15:00:07Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/british-celebrities-force-uk-government-to-reject-ai-firms-free-use-of

## Summary

A coalition of high‑profile artists—including Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Björn Ulvaeus, Julianne Moore and Thom Yorke—pressured the UK government to abandon a proposal that would let AI companies train models on copyrighted material without permission. The campaign was coordinated by peer‑reviewed parliamentarian and filmmaker Beeban Kidron and composer‑former AI executive Ed Newton‑Rex, who staged a silent album backed by more than 1,000 musicians and an empty book signed by 10,000 writers. Polling showed seven out of ten UK adults support paying royalties to copyright holders whose work is used for AI training.

Kidron says the effort “struck a chord with the public,” and the government’s backtrack was confirmed by former technology secretary Liz Kendall in March. The movement now warns Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese not to repeat the UK’s mistake, with advisers such as Pierre Andrews and techUK’s Antony Walker echoing concerns that rights‑holders were “shouting down the debate.”

## Key points

- UK government reversed plan to allow AI firms free use of copyrighted work after pressure from leading artists.
- Seven out of ten UK adults back paying royalties for AI training on copyrighted material, according to polling.
- Stunts included a silent album with over 1,000 musicians and an empty book signed by 10,000 writers.

## Why it matters

Shows that organized creative‑industry lobbying can shape AI policy, signaling to other governments that public and artist opposition can block permissive AI training rules.

## Sources

1. [British celebrities beat AI companies lobbying to get free use of their work. They have a warning for Australia](https://theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/28/uk-celebrity-warning-for-australia-ai-copyright) (The Guardian AI, 2026-09-27)

## Cite

Digest AI, "British celebrities force UK government to reject AI firms' free use of copyrighted work", 27 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/british-celebrities-force-uk-government-to-reject-ai-firms-free-use-of

---

Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record. Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse
JSON: https://digestai.news/story/british-celebrities-force-uk-government-to-reject-ai-firms-free-use-of.json