cormack12
Gold Member
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/ai-gaming-grand-theft-auto-vi-b2673253.html
(Paywalled...)
It’s also a rarity these days: a British, world-beating tech
success. The GTA strand is developed by Rockstar Games, based in
Dundee. In all, more than 2,000 people will have worked on the new
game, in Scotland and elsewhere.
Not only is GTA proof that we should take video gaming more seriously,
as something Britain does extremely well – the sector employs
thousands and is a huge domestic wealth creator – but it also means
we need to pay close attention to anything threatening that hegemony.
Nick Poole, chief executive of UKIE (the Association for UK
Interactive Entertainment), is concerned that we – and especially
our government and lawmakers – are too complacent in our approach to
artificial intelligence, that we run the risk of losing our jewels, of
enabling AI and its use of large language models such as GPT. “If we
want _GTA VI_’s successor to be made in the UK, it’s vital we
don’t surrender to AI,” he says.
Poole’s concern is that we’re sleepwalking into disaster. “We
really need to start developing category-scale responses to emerging
tech rather than eternal catch-up,” he warns.
Last month, the government launched a consultation on copyright and
artificial intelligence, which closes at the end of February. It’s
seeking views on how the law can be underpinned to both combat and
support AI. It’s the “both” that is so worrying. “Two major
strengths of the UK economy are its creative industries and the AI
sector. Both are essential to drive economic growth and deliver the
government’s plan for change,” says the ministerial press release.
“Copyright is a key pillar of our creative economy. It exists to
help creators control the use of their work and allows them to seek
payment for it.” So far so good. But the consultation’s objective
is also “ensuring AI developers have access to high-quality material
to train leading AI models in the UK and support innovation across the
UK AI sector”.
It points towards an outcome of compromise, to a product that
resembles that other British classic: fudge. The fear is that AI
continues to behave how it has done so far, which is to do precisely
what it wishes. Except it will now have some sort of official
endorsement.
“It seems axiomatic that there will be copyright in the source
material on which the technology is ‘trained’ ... That copyright
material ought to have been licensed with the permission of the
rightsholder,” says Poole. “That it was not ... is not a flaw in
copyright legislation. It’s a flaw in enforcement.”
We appear to be moving rapidly from a system that relies on the
default of licensing to one that assumes an automatic right to use
published material for AI unless the creator has exercised their right
to be excluded.
“I think it is because governments are so terrified of losing the AI
arms race that they are willing to undermine creative rights,” says
Poole. “But they could focus instead on winning a different race: to
be the prime movers not in ‘AI for its own sake’ but in
‘Responsible AI’ that is both ethical and sustainable.”
TLDR:
The British gaming industry, exemplified by Rockstar Games' highly anticipated GTA VI, is a global success story, with the game expected to generate $3 billion in its first year. However, the rise of artificial intelligence poses a significant threat. UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE) chief Nick Poole warns of complacency regarding AI's impact, particularly its use of copyrighted material for training without proper licensing. Current debates around copyright and AI suggest a shift from an “opt-in” system, where creators must grant permission, to an “opt-out” model that assumes rights unless creators object. Critics argue this undermines creative industries, likening enforcement challenges to futile sandcastles against a tsunami. Poole advocates for a focus on ethical, sustainable AI rather than an unregulated AI arms race. As the UK government consults on balancing innovation with creator rights, it faces a crucial choice: protect its booming creative sector or risk its erosion to unchecked AI development.
(Paywalled...)
It’s also a rarity these days: a British, world-beating tech
success. The GTA strand is developed by Rockstar Games, based in
Dundee. In all, more than 2,000 people will have worked on the new
game, in Scotland and elsewhere.
Not only is GTA proof that we should take video gaming more seriously,
as something Britain does extremely well – the sector employs
thousands and is a huge domestic wealth creator – but it also means
we need to pay close attention to anything threatening that hegemony.
Nick Poole, chief executive of UKIE (the Association for UK
Interactive Entertainment), is concerned that we – and especially
our government and lawmakers – are too complacent in our approach to
artificial intelligence, that we run the risk of losing our jewels, of
enabling AI and its use of large language models such as GPT. “If we
want _GTA VI_’s successor to be made in the UK, it’s vital we
don’t surrender to AI,” he says.
Poole’s concern is that we’re sleepwalking into disaster. “We
really need to start developing category-scale responses to emerging
tech rather than eternal catch-up,” he warns.
Last month, the government launched a consultation on copyright and
artificial intelligence, which closes at the end of February. It’s
seeking views on how the law can be underpinned to both combat and
support AI. It’s the “both” that is so worrying. “Two major
strengths of the UK economy are its creative industries and the AI
sector. Both are essential to drive economic growth and deliver the
government’s plan for change,” says the ministerial press release.
“Copyright is a key pillar of our creative economy. It exists to
help creators control the use of their work and allows them to seek
payment for it.” So far so good. But the consultation’s objective
is also “ensuring AI developers have access to high-quality material
to train leading AI models in the UK and support innovation across the
UK AI sector”.
It points towards an outcome of compromise, to a product that
resembles that other British classic: fudge. The fear is that AI
continues to behave how it has done so far, which is to do precisely
what it wishes. Except it will now have some sort of official
endorsement.
“It seems axiomatic that there will be copyright in the source
material on which the technology is ‘trained’ ... That copyright
material ought to have been licensed with the permission of the
rightsholder,” says Poole. “That it was not ... is not a flaw in
copyright legislation. It’s a flaw in enforcement.”
We appear to be moving rapidly from a system that relies on the
default of licensing to one that assumes an automatic right to use
published material for AI unless the creator has exercised their right
to be excluded.
“I think it is because governments are so terrified of losing the AI
arms race that they are willing to undermine creative rights,” says
Poole. “But they could focus instead on winning a different race: to
be the prime movers not in ‘AI for its own sake’ but in
‘Responsible AI’ that is both ethical and sustainable.”
TLDR:
The British gaming industry, exemplified by Rockstar Games' highly anticipated GTA VI, is a global success story, with the game expected to generate $3 billion in its first year. However, the rise of artificial intelligence poses a significant threat. UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE) chief Nick Poole warns of complacency regarding AI's impact, particularly its use of copyrighted material for training without proper licensing. Current debates around copyright and AI suggest a shift from an “opt-in” system, where creators must grant permission, to an “opt-out” model that assumes rights unless creators object. Critics argue this undermines creative industries, likening enforcement challenges to futile sandcastles against a tsunami. Poole advocates for a focus on ethical, sustainable AI rather than an unregulated AI arms race. As the UK government consults on balancing innovation with creator rights, it faces a crucial choice: protect its booming creative sector or risk its erosion to unchecked AI development.
