LogInThis "will help rebalance the relationship between online platforms and those who rely on them."
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The UK's prime minister, Keir Starmer, has addressed the state of modern journalism and its relationship with artificial intelligence, saying that the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act should help publishers take control over their work.
"Both artificial intelligence and the creative industries – which include news media – are central to this government’s driving mission on economic growth. To strike balance in our industrial policy, we are working closely with these sectors. We recognise the basic principle that publishers should have control over and seek payment for their work, including when thinking about the role of AI," he said in The Guardian post.
This is "essential for a vibrant media landscape," and Starmer suggested that the new laws would hopefully "help rebalance the relationship between online platforms and those, such as publishers, who rely on them."
It's not exactly clear what Starmer wanted to say by this, but as the issue with generative AI is that it takes people's works and uses them to generate something new, I assume the prime minister wants the new act to help publishers get the rights to their intellectual property. At the same time, he thinks AI is definitely beneficial for economic growth.
As PC Gamer noted, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 is mostly about improving consumer rights and stopping unfair practices, like fake reviews and hidden fees. Moreover, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority will be able to issue "specific technology companies with a 'strategic market status', which would make them subject to special codes of conduct, competition interventions, and further regulations about mergers and the like."
AI is not going anywhere, so we should at least have some regulations concerning people's IP rights. Some steps have already been made: earlier this year, the EU introduced an act aiming to protect human rights by assigning obligations to AI systems. In summer, the US government brought up the idea of allowing researchers to explore how AI works without facing copyright lawsuits.
Let's see where this fight leads us. Meanwhile, join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Reddit, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.