UK arts must not be sacrificed for speculative AI gains, peers say

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The UK’s creative industries must not be sacrificed in the pursuit of speculative gains in AI technology, a House of Lords committee has warned, as the government prepares to reveal the economic cost of proposals to change copyright rules.A report by peers has urged ministers to develop a licensing regime for the use of creative works in AI products and abandon proposals to let tech firms use the work of novelists, artists, writers and journalists without permission.The call from the House of Lords communications and digital committee comes as the government prepares to release an economic impact assessment of proposed changes to copyright law, as well as a progress update on a consultation about the legal overhaul, by a deadline of 18 March.Barbara Keeley, a Labour peer and committee chair, said the UK’s creative industries faced a “clear and present danger” from AI firms using their work without credit or payment.“AI may contribute to our future economic growth, but the UK creative industries create jobs and economic value now,” she said.

Official figures show the creative sector contributes £146bn a year to the UK economy,“Watering down the protections in our existing copyright regime to lure the biggest US tech companies is a race to the bottom that does not serve UK interests,We should not sacrifice our creative industries for AI jam tomorrow,” Lady Keeley added,The government has been consulting on a new intellectual property framework for AI,The technology requires vast amounts of data, including copyright-protected work taken from the open web, to develop tools such as chatbots and image generators.

However, British artists have responded with outrage at the main government proposal of letting AI firms use copyright-protected work without the owner’s permission – unless the owner has signalled that they want to opt out of the process,Elton John is among the artists who have protested over the prospect of a relaxation in copyright law, calling the government “absolute losers”,The House of Lords report, titled “AI, copyright and the creative industries”, also urges the government to formally rule out the proposal to let AI firms use copyright-protected material,Other recommendations include supporting the development of a licensing market that ensures artists are paid by tech companies for use of their work; backing UK-developed AI models; requiring AI companies to reveal the data they have used to develop their products; and giving creators greater rights-based protection against deepfakes,As well as the main government proposal, ministers have suggested three further options: to leave the situation unchanged; to require AI companies to seek licences for using copyrighted work; or to allow AI firms to use copyrighted work with no opt-out for creative companies and individuals.

The government has refused to rule out a copyright waiver for using material for the purposes of “commercial research”, which creative professionals fear could be exploited by AI firms to take artists’ work without permission.The notion of a commercial research exemption was raised in the Lords this week and Fiona Twycross, a minister at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said it would be “pre-emptive” to rule out any exception before the update report was published.A government spokesperson said: “The government wants a copyright regime that values and protects human creativity, can be trusted, and unlocks innovation.“We welcome the committee’s contributions, and we will continue to engage closely with parliament going forwards.”

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From The Bride! to Harry Styles: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

Maggie Gyllenhaal gives us a new take on The Bride of Frankenstein, and the stadium-conquering pop prince is back with a new albumThe Bride!Out now Maggie Gyllenhaal directs this Chicago-set gothic romance starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale. Per James Whale’s 1935 classic Bride of Frankenstein, on which it is loosely based, a lonely monster wants a mate and taps up a scientist, Dr Euphronious (Annette Bening), to create her.Peaky Blinders: The Immortal ManOut now As The Rachel was to women who watched Friends in the 90s, so the Peaky Blinders mop chop was to male fans. Will the return of the Birmingham gang drama in feature film form prompt another wave of ill-advised dos? Only time will tell. Just remember, Cillian Murphy looking amazing with that haircut doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for absolutely everyone

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Stephen Colbert on Kristi Noem: ‘A domestic terrorist who deserves to go to Gitmo’

On Thursday night, late night-hosts celebrated Kristi Noem’s firing, criticized Maga’s handling of the war in Iran and raised an eyebrow to Robert F Kennedy Jr taking issue with sugary Starbucks drinks.Stephen Colbert immediately brought up Kristi Noem’s firing in his monologue, saying that the former homeland secretary brought it on herself by “standing too close to that gravel pit”.The host then turned serious. “Before we get any more information about what happened, I just want to say with absolute certainty: she is a domestic terrorist who deserves to go to Gitmo.”On Truth Social, Donald Trump announced that Noem would be moved to a new role as “special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, our new security initiative in the western hemisphere”

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Stephen Colbert on Republican double-speak for war in Iran: ‘A war that got a thesaurus for Christmas’

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Nothing beats the smell of oil and steam | Brief letters

Re your article (T rex breath and Queen Elizabeth’s car: scientists creating ‘time machine for the nose’, 28 February), one of the great attractions about working steam museums is the whole sensory experience, including the smell of hot oil and steam, which is often mentioned by visitors. Non-working steam engines are, by comparison, lifeless, however well they are polished.John Freeman Trustee, Claymills Victorian Pumping Station My tried and trusted method of getting back to sleep (Letters, 25 February) involves me making the mental journey from my home in Kent to Lewis, including stocking up with groceries in Stornoway. I’m looking forward to making the trip for real in November. Out the door, turn right, right again…Ralph JonesRochester, Kent My twin sister and I shared a bed from the early 1950s

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Seth Meyers on Trump spilling military secrets: ‘He’s so excited to bomb people, he can’t help himself’

Late-night hosts criticized Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran, the problem with advising Americans to evacuate the Middle East and the closure of many college students’ favorite pizza takeout spot.Seth Meyers discussed a recent Trump interview where the president described the Iran bombings as “knocking the crap” out of the country, adding: “We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened, the big one is coming soon.”“Man, the commander in chief is supposed to be able to keep military secrets,” Meyers laughed. “He’s so excited to bomb people, he can’t help himself

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Actor reaches settlement with Old Vic theatre over Kevin Spacey assault claims

An actor who alleged that he was sexually assaulted by Kevin Spacey has reached a settlement with the Old Vic theatre.Ruari Cannon, who waived his right to anonymity, was an actor at the Old Vic during Spacey’s tenure as artistic director.He claimed that Spacey assaulted him at a theatre after-party at the Savoy hotel and at the Old Vic’s theatre bar on a separate occasion. Spacey has denied the allegations.In a statement, the Old Vic said: “Ruari Cannon and the Old Vic have reached a mutually agreed out-of-court settlement, the precise terms of which are confidential

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