Former Meta executive Nick Clegg stated at the Charleston Festival in East Sussex on May 26, 2025, that requiring tech companies to obtain explicit permission to train AI on copyrighted material would severely harm the AI industry in the UK.
Clegg acknowledged artists' concerns about their work being used without consent and suggested clear opt-out options. He argued that demanding preemptive permission is technologically impractical and would stifle Britain's AI sector if implemented alone.
Clegg's stance reflects ongoing debates about AI development, copyright law, and balancing innovation with artistic rights in the UK, especially after Parliament's recent vote against a transparency amendment that would have allowed copyright holders to track the use of their work for AI training.