BBC and Sky bosses criticise plans to let AI firms use copyrighted material
The BBC director general and the boss of Sky have criticised proposals to let tech firms use copyright-protected work without permission, as the government promised that artificial intelligence legislation will not destroy the £125bn creative sector,The creative industry has said that original proposals published in a consultation in February to give AI companies access to creative works unless the copyright holder opts out would “scrape the value” out of the sector,Dana Strong, the group chief executive of Sky, compared the proposal to its own battles against TV piracy and said individuals and small companies would not have the experience and financial resources to protect their intellectual property,“Sky is one of the leading forces in trying to fight against piracy,” she said, speaking at the Deloitte and Enders Media and Telecoms conference,“As I look ahead to artificial intelligence, protecting copyright is a very big issue, and I think some of the consequences of the opt-out are impossible to police.
If we as a large organisation spend the resource we do fighting for intellectual property rights, I can’t fathom how small producers keep up with a change of that nature.It is impossible to head in that direction.”Tim Davie, the director general of the BBC, said the government needed to put protections in place because the industry faced a potential crisis as the consultation dragged on.“If we currently drift in the way we are doing now we will be in crisis,” he said.“We need to make quick decisions now around areas like … protection of IP.
We need to protect our national intellectual property, that is where the value is,What do I need? IP protection; come on, let’s get on with it,”The industry would like to see an opt-in regime, forcing AI companies to seek permission and strike licensing deals with copyright holders before they can use the content to train their models,In response, the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, sought to allay fears and said she and Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, would begin roundtable discussions with the creative industries to ensure legislation does not harm the sector,“We have heard you loud and clear,” she told the 800 attenders at the conference.
“We are determined to find a way forward that works for the creative industry and creators as well as the tech industries.The issue of AI and copyright needs to be properly considered and enforceable legislation drafted with the inclusion, involvement and experience of both creatives and technologists.”Sign up to Business TodayGet set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morningafter newsletter promotionLast month, the government faced accusations of being too close to big tech after analysis showed Kyle and his department met people close to, or representing the sector, 28 times in a six-month period.The government has already drawn up some concessions – including promising to carry out an economic impact assessment of its proposed copyright changes, and to publish reports on issues including transparency, licensing and access to data for AI developers – after a backlash from some of the UK’s best-known creators, including Elton John and Paul McCartney.“We approach you with no preferred option in mind,” Nandy said.
“We are a Labour government, and the principle [that] people must be paid for their work is foundational.You have our word that if it doesn’t work for the creative industries, it will not work for us.”
US jobs market slows down as businesses cope with Trump trade war uncertainty
The US economy added 139,000 jobs in May, a slowdown compared with recent months as American businesses cope with uncertainty around Donald Trump’s continuing trade war.After signs of a strong labor market in April – which was largely seen as resiliency against teetering trade policy from the White House – May saw a drop in new jobs added to the labor market, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.2%, unchanged from last month.May’s jobs report was dragged down by the loss of 22,000 federal workers’ jobs as the Trump administration used the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) to cut government positions
NatWest apologises to millions of customers locked out of app
NatWest has apologised to millions of customers locked out of its app in the latest IT outage to hit a major UK bank.The high street bank said it was investigating a problem caused by an update to the app that was rolled out late on Thursday, leaving customers unable to access their accounts through the app since shortly after 9am on Friday.It will be disruptive to the more than 10 million customers who use the NatWest banking app to access their account every day.The lender said its other services – including card payments, in-branch, online and telephone banking – were operating as normal.A NatWest spokesperson said: “We are aware that customers are experiencing difficulties accessing the NatWest mobile banking app
Tesla share plunge amid Trump feud wipes $152bn off Elon Musk’s company
Tesla’s shares dropped by about 14.2% on Thursday at market close, wiping roughly $152bn off the value of the company as a feud between Elon Musk and Donald Trump erupted into public view. The former political allies traded threats and insults through posts on their respective social media platforms throughout the afternoon as the company’s price fell.Trump suggested on Truth Social that he could cut Musk’s government subsidies and contracts, of which both Tesla and SpaceX have been immense beneficiaries. Musk meanwhile threatened to decommission the SpaceX spacecraft that Nasa relies on for transport missions, called for Trump’s impeachment, derided the president’s signature tariffs and accused him of being affiliated with the notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
Australians may soon be able to download iPhone apps from outside Apple App Store under federal proposal
Australians could soon be able to download apps outside the Apple App Store and avoid extra charges on purchases made on the iPhone under a federal government proposal, but the tech company has warned EU-style competition rules for apps risks security and may harm competition.Australian users cannot subscribe to Netflix or Spotify through their iOS apps, while Google charges a premium on YouTube subscriptions through the App Store and Amazon does not let Kindle users buy ebooks through the app.This is due to Apple taking a cut of up to 30% on in-app purchases, which applies to the highest-earning apps. The companies cannot advise customers how to make the purchase elsewhere, under Apple rules.In a paper released last November the government outlined a proposal to “designate” digital platforms like the Apple App Store
Consistent Coco Gauff takes sunny outlook into French Open final with Sabalenka
Coco Gauff was only 18 when she navigated a path to a grand slam final for the first time. After her breakthrough in the preceding years, and the intense hype and scrutiny that accompanied her as she tried to build her career, Gauff’s run to the 2022 French Open final proved to herself and the world that she was ready to live up to those expectations.Although she did not win the title, her experience at Roland Garros then was an essential lesson that has guided her over the past few years. In the buildup to that final against Iga Swiatek, she struggled badly with her nerves and her intense fear of failure. “At first I thought it would be the end of the world if I lost, and the sun still rose the next day,” said Gauff after beating Loïs Boisson in their semi-final on Thursday
Hull KR are out of the darkness and ready to end 40-year wait in Challenge Cup final
For a while around the 80s, it must have felt like the good times were never going to end for Hull KR: Challenge Cup winners in 1980; winners of the Premiership in 1981 and 1984; champions of England in 1979 and again in 1984 and 1985.Legends such as Roger Millward, Gavin Miller and George Fairbairn – revered on one side of Hull to this day – at the heartbeat of one of the finest sides in history.But then, nothing. Darkness. One final defeat became two; two became three
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