'AI is a great thing, but...': Beatles star Paul McCartney calls for better AI copyright protections

Legendary Beatles musician Paul McCartney has voiced concerns over the potential misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) in the creative sector, warning that it could be used to exploit artists if copyright laws are not sufficiently robust. He has urged the British government to prioritise protecting creative minds in its upcoming copyright reforms.

Speaking in a BBC interview broadcast on Sunday, McCartney said, “AI is a great thing, but it shouldn’t rip creative people off. Make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or you’re not going to have them. As simple as that.”

The global music and film industries are grappling with the rapid rise of AI models capable of generating original content after being trained on existing works. These models often operate without compensating the creators of the original material, raising significant legal and ethical concerns.

In December, the British government proposed a licensing framework that would allow artists to authorise the use of their work for training AI models. However, the reforms also suggest an exception for large-scale AI use when rights are not explicitly reserved.

The government is currently consulting on these changes, stating that legal uncertainty around copyright could hinder investment and adoption of AI technology in the UK.

McCartney, who has embraced AI in the past—using it in 2023 to recreate the voice of late Beatles member John Lennon from an old cassette recording—expressed fears that artists could lose control over their work.

“You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they don’t own it,” McCartney said. “They don’t have anything to do with it, and anyone who wants can just rip it off.”

He stressed that profits from creative works are often redirected to large technology companies, leaving the original creators sidelined. “The truth is, the money’s going somewhere, you know, and it gets on the streaming platforms. Somebody’s getting it, and it should be the person who created it. It shouldn’t just be some tech giant somewhere.”

The conversation around AI and intellectual property is heating up worldwide. Creators and lawmakers are exploring ways to balance the benefits of AI innovation with fair compensation for original works. The UK’s approach, which includes large-scale AI exceptions, has sparked debate among artists and industry leaders.