"You're supposed to protect us. That's your job."
According to a report by the US Copyright Office, artists can now copyright works created with AI assistance in the United States.
This decision could transform Hollywood, the music industry and other creative fields by clarifying copyright protections for AI-assisted works.
The US Copyright Office, which processes around half a million copyright applications annually, has faced growing requests to register AI-generated works.
While decisions remain case-by-case, the report affirms that human creativity remains central to copyright protection.
Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter said: “Where that creativity is expressed through the use of AI systems, it continues to enjoy protection.”
An AI-assisted work can be copyrighted if an artist’s unique input is visible, such as creative arrangements or modifications of AI-generated material.
However, fully machine-generated works will continue to be denied copyright protection.
Simply prompting AI to generate content does not grant the user copyright.
The report does not address the ongoing legal battle over AI companies using copyrighted material to train their models without permission.
Lawsuits from visual artists, authors and news organisations continue to challenge this practice.
The US Copyright Office is preparing a separate report on AI training data and licensing considerations.
There is talk that the same ruling could be implemented in the UK, sparking concern.
Sir Paul McCartney has warned that potential changes to copyright law could allow AI-generated content to dominate, harming musicians and artists.
He said AI could create a “Wild West” where artists’ rights are not protected.
The artist said: “You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they don’t own it.”
Sir Paul urged the government to ensure creatives are protected:
“We’re the people, you’re the government! You’re supposed to protect us. That’s your job.”
Tom Kiehl, chief executive of music industry body UK Music, said:
“Government plans to change copyright law to make it easier for AI firms to use the music of artists, composers and music companies without their permission put the music industry at a huge risk.
“It would be a wild punt against the creative sector that is already contributing over £120 billion to the economy and be counterproductive to the government’s own growth ambitions.
“There is no evidence that creatives can effectively ‘opt-out’ of their work from being trained by AI systems and so this apparent concession does not provide any reassurance to those that work in music.”
If similar rules were adopted in the UK, the impact on British Asian music producers, singers and performers would be significant.
Many British Asian artists already face challenges in gaining recognition and financial stability.
AI-assisted music could make it harder for new talent to break through, particularly if AI-generated tracks flood the market.
Some argue that AI can be a useful tool for musicians, allowing for innovation and collaboration.
Others fear it will lead to exploitation, with AI-generated songs overshadowing human creativity.
The UK government will need to consider whether AI-generated content deserves copyright protection and how to ensure fairness for human artists.
With AI’s role in music and creativity growing, British lawmakers must decide whether to follow the US approach. If they do, it could change the landscape for every British Asian artist in the industry.
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