RSC and ENO bosses among signatories to letter demanding government AI rethink

The latest letter, shared to Theatre Full Stop’s website, reads: "We join with many in the creative community in expressing our concern about the government’s plans to diminish creative copyright by giving an exemption to AI companies.

"Our community of highly skilled creative workers depends on a fragile ecosystem of freelance creatives, many of whom rely on copyright to sustain their practice, and most of whom have spent many decades honing their craft."

The statement continues: "As leaders of creative institutions, we embrace advances in technology. We are not separate from innovation but rather participants in its practical applications and the philosophical and moral questions it raises.

"We are concerned that the government proposals risk undermining agency and participation in the new world of AI rather than supporting the moral and economic rights of our creative community to their work. As such we ask the government to underline a creative person’s automatic right to their work and ask that the government support transparency duties on AI companies."

Fellow signatories include Shawab Iqbal, chief executive of Leeds Playhouse, and Kate Varah, executive director and co-chief executive of the National Theatre, as well as Talawa Theatre bosses Carolyn Forsyth and Michael Buffong, and more.

Government spokespeople have previously claimed existing copyright law is "holding back the creative industries, media and AI sector".

Keir Starmer in January insisted that his government would "turbocharge" the country’s embrace and adoption of AI, insisting it would "make Britain the world leader" on the technology.