Paul McCartney has warned that AI could "rip off" artists if a proposed overhaul on UK copyright law goes ahead as planned.
The musician has stated in a recent interview that proposals to remove incentives for writers and artists, could lead to a "loss in creativity".
This is part of a new proposal from the UK Government, where copyrighted material could be used in order to help train artificial intelligence models.
"You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they don't own it, and they don’t have anything to do with it. And anyone who wants can just rip it off", McCartney told the BBC.
"The truth is, the money’s going somewhere… Somebody’s getting paid, so why shouldn’t it be the guy who sat down and wrote Yesterday?".
The use of AI in music has been a cause for major debate worldwide, with many debating over the lack of clarity over whether it is right and fair that this copyright material should be used to train the models which are powering these AI waves.
It has also led to several legal lawsuits being launched by firms and individuals, in the music industry and beyond, over the unlicensed use of their content and material.
The UK Government have announced that they will use this consultation, which runs until February 25, to explore key points in this issue, which include how to improve trust between creators and AI sectors, as well as how creators can benefit financially from this.
In his interview, Paul McCartney called on the Government to reconsider their stance on this policy.
"We’re the people, you’re the government. You’re supposed to protect us. That’s your job", he said.
He added: "So, you know, if you’re putting through a bill, make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or you’re not going to have them".
In June 2023, Paul McCartney had revealed that AI played a key role in enabling him to release the "final" Beatles track, 'Now And Then'. More on this from Nova here.
Last month, Paul McCartney also outlined plans to work on a new solo album.
