Paul McCartney warns AI ‘could take over’ as UK debates copyright laws

Former Beatle speaks out amid fears the rise of AI threatens income streams for music, news and book publishers

Paul McCartney has backed calls for laws to stop mass copyright theft by companies building generative artificial intelligence, warning AI “could just take over”.

The former Beatle said it would be “a very sad thing indeed” if young composers and writers could not protect their intellectual property from the rise of algorithmic models that have so far learned by digesting mountains of copyrighted material.