Nick Clegg Says Asking Creators for AI Consent Could “Kill” the Industry

Nick Clegg, Meta’s former policy chief and the UK’s ex-Deputy Prime Minister, doesn’t think so.

At a recent event promoting his new book, Clegg made headlines when he claimed that asking artists and creators for permission before using their work to train AI models would be “implausible” and even worse, could “kill” the UK’s AI industry altogether.

According to Clegg, AI training depends on massive amounts of data.

The idea of asking every creator for permission before using their content, he said, just wouldn’t work at scale.

“I just don’t know how you go around, asking everyone first. I just don’t see how that would work,” Clegg explained, as reported by The Times.

The Heart of the Debate: Consent vs Innovation

This debate comes as the UK government considers stronger rules around AI transparency.

At the center of the conversation is a proposed amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, which would require tech companies to reveal what copyrighted materials they used to train their AI models.

Many artists and public figures, including Paul McCartney, Dua Lipa, Elton John, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, have signed an open letter in support of the change.

They argue that if AI companies are going to profit off their work, they at least deserve to know about it.

A Bill Caught in the Middle

While supporters say transparency will protect creatives from exploitation, some tech leaders see it as a threat.

Clegg’s remarks show just how tense the discussion has become.

Lawmakers like Baroness Beeban Kidron, who also happens to be a film director, argue that the amendment isn’t anti-AI.

It’s simply about fairness.

If AI companies had to disclose what content they use, she says, they’d be less likely to “steal” work in the first place.

Still, the proposal didn’t pass in Parliament this week. UK technology secretary Peter Kyle defended the rejection, saying Britain’s future depends on both sectors – creative and AI – “succeeding together.”

What’s Next?

The fight isn’t over.

Kidron wrote in The Guardian that the bill will return to the House of Lords in June, promising continued pressure for more transparency in how AI is built.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just a UK issue. The tension between innovation and intellectual property is global.

On one side:

• AI companies want the freedom to build using the internet’s vast knowledge.
• On the other: creators want to protect their life’s work.

It raises tough questions:

• Should AI companies ask before using someone’s work?
• If not, where’s the line between innovation and exploitation?

Real Talk: Can We Balance Both?

Clegg believes requiring permission could drive AI development elsewhere. But artists fear a future where their creativity is mined without credit, or compensation.

Is there a middle ground?

Some suggest a universal opt-out system, similar to how data privacy laws let users decline tracking.

Others want licensing deals that pay creators fairly when their content trains AI.

No perfect solution exists yet. But one thing’s clear: the conversation is just heating up.

Key Voices in the Debate