Authors at London Book Fair protested AI companies' use of creative work without permission through Don't Steal This Book, a volume containing only thousands of author names. The protest highlights growing resistance against tech firms allegedly training generative AI models on copyrighted content. This dispute threatens the livelihood of artists while intensifying the battle over intellectual property rights in the rapidly expanding AI sector.

Legal actions are mounting as The New York Times sues Microsoft and OpenAI, following Anthropic's $1.5bn settlement with book authors. The UK government weighs a text and data mining (TDM) exception that would allow AI companies to use copyrighted materials without permission. Critics argue this wouldn't significantly boost the UK AI sector compared to addressing energy costs or other competitive factors.

The House of Lords opposes sacrificing creative capacity for speculative AI gains. The article suggests transparency about AI training data should be mandatory, ensuring artists receive compensation. Despite claims that regulation will hinder competitiveness, historical precedent shows copyright has adapted to previous technological advancements without stifling innovation or Britain's creative soft power.