Creativity at the Crossroads: Why UK Artists Are Fighting for Control in the Age of AI

This month, a debate erupted across the UK art world. On one side: Prem Akkaraju, CEO of Stability AI, who told the Financial Times that AI can empower artists by automating tedious tasks and freeing them to focus on creativity. On the other: hundreds of musicians and visual artists including Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Dua Lipa who signed an open letter warning that new UK policies would allow AI to exploit their work without consent or compensation.

This moment reveals a deeper tension in the creative world. AI holds promise for enhancing creative processes but also the power to undermine artistic labour if not carefully managed.

The Issue: Opt-Out by Default

At the heart of the backlash is a UK government proposal allowing AI companies to train models on copyrighted content unless creators opt out. Critics argue this shifts the burden unfairly onto artists, who must track and block data usage across platforms they may not even know exist.

Supporters of the policy, including Akkaraju, suggest artists will benefit long-term if AI companies adopt Spotify-like licensing models. But many creatives say they’ve heard that tune before and it didn’t pay the bills.

What’s at Stake

Artists fear that AI, if left unchecked, could erode their ability to earn, protect their style, and even be recognised for their work. The proposed legislation also lacks meaningful enforcement mechanisms, making it hard for individuals to assert their rights against major tech firms.

More broadly, there’s a cultural risk: if machine-made content floods platforms and audiences can’t distinguish it from human work, the very notion of originality is under threat.

LettsArt’s Role

At LettsArt, we’re committed to ensuring that AI is used ethically and transparently as a tool for artists, not at their expense. Our role is provide world-class software to support artists:

• All our tools (like AI-generated gallery images or descriptions) are built to support, not replace, your creativity.
• We don’t train AI models on artist data.
• Artists can choose to make their galleries visible to collectors only, meaning art is not available to be scraped.
• We also provide full NFT capability, meaning artists prevent art from being copied and maintain provenance of their art sales as well as get commission on further onward sales.

The Future Is Still Ours to Shape

AI is here. The question now is whether creatives shape its future or are shaped by it.

LettsArt stands with artists demanding fair treatment, consent-first data use and ethical AI practices. Together, we can ensure that art and the people behind it remain at the centre of culture in the digital age.

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To sign up to LettsArt (it’s FREE!) go to www.LettsArt.com .