‘An existential threat’: anger over UK government plans to allow AI firms to scrape content

Government proposals to allow artificial intelligence (AI) firms to scrape data from news websites have been met with anger from publishers, who say it would be an “existential threat” to their businesses.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is consulting on plans to introduce a new law that would allow AI firms to access and use content from news websites, without having to pay for it.

The proposals are part of the government’s efforts to boost the UK’s AI industry, which it sees as a key part of the economy. However, publishers argue that the plans would undermine their ability to generate revenue and would lead to a decline in the quality of journalism.

The News Media Association (NMA), which represents UK publishers, said the plans were “an existential threat” to the industry. The NMA said that the proposals would allow AI firms to “siphon off” content from news websites, without contributing to the cost of producing it.

“This would lead to a decline in the quality of journalism, as publishers would be less able to invest in original reporting,” the NMA said.

The Society of Editors, which represents editors of UK newspapers and magazines, also condemned the plans. The Society said that the proposals would “undermine the sustainability of the UK news industry”.

“These proposals would allow AI firms to free-ride on the back of the work of journalists, without having to pay for it,” the Society said.

“This would lead to a decline in the quality of journalism, as publishers would be less able to invest in original reporting.”

The government said that it was “committed to supporting the UK’s news industry” and that it would “work with publishers to ensure that they are able to continue to produce high-quality journalism”.

However, the government has not yet said how it will protect publishers from the impact of the proposed law.