Peers blast attempts to stop firms using news articles to train AI

Peers have criticised 'tepid and inadequate' government attempts to tackle big tech firms' unauthorised use of news content to train its AI systems.

A report on The Future of News has called for new rules to govern how articles are being used to train artificial intelligence.

The House of Lords' communications and digital committee said previous efforts to 'find a solution' had been 'weak and ineffectual'.

Peers have been carrying out a lengthy investigation into the news industry, which also found the BBC must address 'shortcomings' around serving all parts of the audience.

The report raised a number of issues about the relationship between generative AI firms and news providers.

It said the unauthorised use of news to train AI was 'deeply controversial'.

Last year the New York Times revealed it was suing ChatGPT owner Open AI and Microsoft over claims they used its content to train generative artificial intelligence. The newspaper claimed its copyright had been infringed.

The report by peers recommends the Competition and Markets Authority should 'investigate allegations of anti-competitive practice' by big tech firms that are 'acquiring AI training data'.

Baroness Stowell, chairman of the committee, told the Mail: 'It's not sufficiently clear how copyright law applies in the AI world. The government has got to sort this out.

'We need a strong regime that allows publishers to strike mutually beneficial deals with the tech firms.'

Peers said that due to advances in generative AI, tech firms were now providing their own 'engaging and high-quality news summaries', which suggested they now needed to be regulated as publishers as well.

The report said: 'Efforts to mediate between tech firms and creative rights-holders have been tepid and inadequate. The Government must update legislation to align incentives between news providers and AI firms.'

The report also tackled the BBC's role in the news market, saying that 'shortcomings' persisted with 'less satisfied audiences'. 

It raised fears of a 'two-tier' media environment growing in the UK amid worsening economics for 'mass market journalism' and low levels of trust.

There was a 'realistic possibility' of the UK news environment 'fracturing irreparably' along 'social, regional and economic lines' within ten years, it said.

The report said ministers were 'failing to prioritise' legislation to stop the rich and powerful using abusive legal tactics to try to muzzle the Press. 

It added: 'Its absence reflects poorly on the new Government's values and commitment to justice.'