Elton John Brands Labour Ministers 'Absolute Losers' Over AI Copyright Row

Elton John on the BBC this morning.Sir Elton John has branded Labour ministers “absolute losers” amid the row over artificial intelligence (AI) laws.The world-famous pop star said science secretary Peter Kyle was “a bit of a moron” for considering allowing tech companies to use artists’ work to create content without paying for it.The row centres around the government’s Data (Use and Access) Bill, which is currently going through parliament.Ministers last week rejected proposals from the House of Lords to force AI companies to disclose what material they were using to develop their programmes.Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Sir Elton said the government’s current plans would allow AI firms to “commit theft, thievery on the highest scale”.“Some people aren’t like me, they don’t earn as much as I do,” he said.“When they’re creative, and it comes from the human soul and not from a machine – because a machine is not capable of writing anything with any soul in it – if you’re going to get rid of that and you’re going to rob young people of their legacy and their income, it’s a criminal offence, I think.“I think the government are just being absolute losers. I’m very angry about it, as you can tell.”Sir Elton said Keir Starmer needed to “wise up” about the threat to the creative industries and that Kyle – who has been accused of being too close to tech giants – was “a bit of a moron”.Responding to Sir Elton’s comments, Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said: “The government is trying to find a way forward that is dealing with the concerns that are being raised quite passionately by the cultural sector, but also making sure that we maintain that world-leading position in AI.“Pursuing those two objectives is the balance we need to strike.”The minister also said he “profoundly disagreed” with Elton John’s claim that Peter Kyle is “a moron”.A government spokesperson said: “We want our creative industries and AI companies to flourish, which is why we’re consulting on a package of measures that we hope will work for both sectors.“We’re clear that changes will be considered unless we are completely satisfied they work for creators.”Related...'Are You Embarrassed': Sky News Presenter Mocks Senior Tory Over Labour's Trade DealsStarmer Faces A Case Of The Monday Blues As EU Deal And Labour Rebellion LoomKeir Starmer Braced For Huge Labour Rebellion Over Welfare Cuts

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