Tech giants urged to set out positions on AI

Google and OpenAI have been given three weeks to respond to the government’s consultation on AI and copyright after they declined to show up at a recent evidence session. 

In a letter sent to the two companies, chair of the science, innovation and technology committee Chi Onwurah also set out four questions for the tech giants to answer and requested that they send representatives to any future public session on the issue. 

The proposals set out in the government’s consultation have already been met with backlash from the UK’s creative sector.

Last month the science committee held a joint session with the culture, media and sport committee last month to examine the proposals. Representatives of the Google and OpenAI were invited to attend but declined, citing that the government consultation was still live.  

Onwurah has now followed up with both companies requesting details of their responses to the consultation by 2 April.  

She is seeking clarity on their positions regarding the government’s proposals to amend copyright law to allow tech companies to train AI models on copyrighted materials.

Addressing the policy directors of both companies, the committee chair set out four questions to the companies.  

The first was regarding whether their responses to the consultation included proposals to use technology to help deliver an “entirely transparent” rights environment.  

She also asked if Google and OpenAI intend to shed light on their positions by publishing their responses to the consultation, stating that the committee would like to see their submissions, regardless of whether they plan to publish them or not. 

Following last month’s session, the two committees wrote to the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology setting out their recommendations. 

These were: that the government should introduce “practical measures” around transparency on AI training data, whatever its approach to copyright law, whatever the government’s preferred option, it should not be progressed without a technical solution that works, and is workable and accessible to all.  

The committees also recommended the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology should publish a full impact assessment for each option proposed in the consultation and that “robust mechanisms” will be needed to enforce compliance, enforcement and redress.  

Onwurah said: “The UK is home to both a fast-growing AI sector capable of driving economic growth, and to world-leading creative industries and artists who are rightly anxious about preserving their intellectual property rights. The government’s AI and Copyright consultation is a crucial next step in finding a fair balance between the interests of AI developers and rights holders. 

“The Government’s preferred option is dependent on suitable technological solutions being developed at speed.  Google and OpenAI are leaders in AI and it’s critical to understand if they believe they can meet the Government’s ambitions.”