A few weeks ago, I posted this blog entry telling you about a petition to the Government, asking for a statutory duty requiring AI developers to disclose the copyrighted works used to train generative AI. Not too long after, the petition reached 10,000 signatures. This meant that the Government had to formally respond to it, with they did on 27 August, saying this:
Greater transparency about how AI developers train their models, including the content and data they use, can help right holders assert their rights.
The UK is home to world-leading creative industries and a growing AI sector. The Government does not believe we need to choose between them. We want an approach to copyright and AI that supports innovation, rewards human creativity, builds public trust in AI, and provides the certainty needed for both sectors to grow.
In March 2026, the Government published its Report on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-and-impact-assessment-on-copyright-and-artificial-intelligence). This considered transparency alongside licensing, enforcement and technical tools and standards. It found support from the creative industries for greater transparency, but different views on what information should be provided and how this should work in practice. The Government concluded that further work was needed before deciding its long-term approach.
The Government also announced a review of the mechanisms available to help creators control the use of their works online. This includes technical standards, and best practice on input transparency.
As part of this work, we are considering what role greater transparency could play and how different approaches would work in practice. This includes what information would be useful to creators and rightsholders, what AI developers could reasonably provide, and how transparency could support licensing, enforcement and creator control. We are engaging creators and rightsholders, AI developers, legal and technical experts, standards bodies and Parliament to inform this work.
This work will inform whether there is an appropriate role for government, including consideration of proposals such as the statutory transparency duty proposed by the petition. Any requirement would need to provide information that is useful in practice, while being workable and proportionate. The Government is also taking forward work on AI-generated content labelling and digital replicas, establishing a working group for smaller and independent creative organisations, and monitoring the development of licensing markets (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-03-18/hcws1416).
Any future action must help creators and rightsholders protect and license their works, while enabling responsible AI innovation. The Government will not make changes to copyright law unless it is confident they are workable and support the creative industries, the AI sector and the wider economy.
Department for Business, Innovation, Science & Trade
Albeit work is being done, we still seem to be far from a legal framework that truly protects the rights of human creators. The petition is still open for new signatures until 29 October. If it gets 100,000 or more, the Parliament is under the obligation to debate it.
We are far from that goal, but it is not impossible to reach it. Please, tell your social circles about it. Whilst only British citizens can sign, it is still worth it to tell citizens of other countries about the initiative, if they are part of your friends or family. That way, the petition gains momentum and reach.
