A senior aide to UK minister Liz Kendall has sparked concern by suggesting AI companies would never have to compensate creatives for using their work to train artificial intelligence systems. Kirsty Innes, recently appointed as a special adviser to the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, made the statement in a now-deleted post on X in February, seven months before taking up her ministerial role.
Innes wrote: “Whether or not you philosophically believe the big AI firms should compensate content creators, they in practice will never legally have to.” She added that the use of creative content “can continue to happen outside the UK, whatever our laws say,” calling it a “bitter pill to swallow for some.”
The comments come as the government consults on how creatives should be paid by AI firms. Leading British artists, including Mick Jagger, Kate Bush and Paul McCartney, recently urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to protect creators’ human rights and ensure fair compensation.
Innes previously worked at the Tony Blair Institute, which received $270m in donations last year from Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison. Oracle is involved in the $600bn Stargate AI project alongside OpenAI and SoftBank. Critics note her background may influence advice in favour of big tech interests over creative rights.
Labour’s consultation on copyright reform has been contentious. The government previously considered allowing AI companies to use copyrighted works without permission unless creators opted out. While some publications, such as the Guardian and Financial Times, have signed licensing deals with OpenAI, the government now says opting out is no longer its preferred approach and has convened working groups from both creative and AI sectors to explore solutions.
Campaigners fear Innes’ views signal a continuation of policies favouring big tech. Ed Newton-Rex, founder of Fairly Trained, said: “It is alarming that Liz Kendall will be getting advice from someone who seems so bought into big tech’s dreams of upending the UK’s copyright law. Creatives are rightly anxious about the impacts of AI and the power of big tech.”
Crossbench peer Beeban Kidron also expressed concern, noting that recent government actions may undermine human rights law, which guarantees individuals’ copyright in creative and scientific works. Newton-Rex added that Innes’ appointment could jeopardize an opportunity to repair relations with the creative sector.
