The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) has urged the UK to relax copyright laws to facilitate the development of new artificial intelligence (AI) products, warning that a stricter approach could strain the transatlantic relationship with the United States.
TBI stated that enforcing stringent copyright measures could complicate ties with the US, which is poised to announce tariffs on UK goods. The thinktank emphasized that geopolitical considerations require "urgent and adequate attention" while drafting AI policy. "Without similar provisions in the United States, it would be hard for the UK government to enforce strict copyright laws without straining the transatlantic relationship it has so far sought to nurture," TBI said.
TBI argued that if the UK demands licensing for all UK content used in AI models, it could push such development work to other countries with more lenient copyright laws. Enforcing a strict licensing model would also necessitate restricting access to models trained on such content, including those owned by US companies.
In a report published on Wednesday, TBI supported government proposals to allow AI firms to train their models on copyright-protected material without permission, unless creators opt out. TBI noted that the Trump administration is not pursuing strict AI regulations, and China is rapidly advancing in AI development. The UK could weaken its economic and national security interests by falling behind in the AI race, according to TBI.
"If the UK imposes laws that are too strict, it risks falling behind in the AI-driven economy and weakening its capacity to protect national security interests," TBI stated.
The report argued that prohibiting commercial AI models from training on content from the open web is akin to saying knowledge workers, such as lawyers and researchers, cannot profit from insights gained from reading the same content. TBI suggested that rights holders and policymakers should focus on building a future where creativity is valued alongside AI innovation, rather than clinging to outdated regulations.
A more restrictive approach to copyright than that taken by the EU, Singapore, or Japan could push AI developers out of the UK, TBI warned.
Fernando Garibay, a record producer who has worked with artists including Lady Gaga and U2, noted that technological breakthroughs have historically been met with "end-of-time claims," from the printing press to music streaming. These fears have often been unfounded, and the creative community should not "cling" to the legal status quo, Garibay said in the report's introduction. "The progressive solution is not about clinging to copyright laws designed for an earlier era but allowing them to co-evolve with technological change, to remain effective in fulfilling their regulatory and protective aims in the age of AI," he added.
The report, titled "Rebooting Copyright: How the UK Can Be a Global Leader in the Arts and AI," also calls for the creation of a Centre for AI and Creative Industries to foster collaboration between the tech and creative sectors.
Beeban Kidron, a cross-bench peer and prominent critic of the government's proposals, said the report essentially tells artists to "put up or shut up" because AI's advance is inevitable. "It cannot be that the sum total of the government’s imagination is that the UK become an AI hub for Silicon Valley," she said. "That has got to be the most depressing vision of the UK imaginable."
Kidron also raised concerns about TBI's funding, noting that the thinktank received significant donations from US tech billionaire Larry Ellison, totaling $270m (£210m) last year. According to US documents, Ellison’s foundation donated more than $52m (£40m) to TBI in 2024, with a further $218m (£169m) committed. TBI stated that the $270m commitment is for helping governments around the world, particularly in Africa, with "reform and change programmes." "We maintain intellectual independence over our policy work," TBI said.
