Publishing can support the UK becoming an AI content superpower

Publishing can support the UK becoming an AI content superpower

The Publishers Association has released the first comprehensive overview of how publishers license content for AI use, in the report Content Superpower: UK publishing and the AI licensing market.

The report clearly shows that despite ongoing uncertainty around the government's approach to copyright and AI, the AI licensing marketing is established and growing. Therefore, calls for a copyright exception for AI are unjustified.

Key takeaways from Content Superpower include:

• 100% of major academic publishers in the UK are expected to be active in the AI licensing market by the end of 2026.

• Publishers have been licensing content for text and data mining (TDM) for a decade. AI training licences followed by 2023 and licensing for RAG is growing rapidly.

• The uncertainty caused by the UK government's consultation on copyright and AI is depressing the full potential of the market.

• The demand for publishers' content is well-justified. UK publishers have invested in the development of high-quality content for decades and this content will make the difference in the standard of AI models. The quality of UK content is a global competitive advantage.

Dan Conway, CEO of the Publishers Association, said:

"This first-of-its-kind report shows the UK has an opportunity to create a role for itself as an AI content superpower. It shows there is a willing and growing set of buyers, who value and are willing to pay for high-quality content and so it is no surprise that UK publishers' content is in high demand. The incredible investment and expertise publishers bring to their work gives the UK an extraordinary competitive advantage on the world stage - and something that the UK government ignores at its peril.

"Ahead of the government announcing their next steps on AI and copyright, we are calling on them to seize the UK's competitive advantage by ruling out any form of copyright exception for AI and legislating to introduce transparency requirements for AI developers."

Mandy Hill, President of the Publishers Association and Managing Director of Academic at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, writes in the report's introduction:

'It is no surprise that UK publishers' content is in demand. […] From the discovery and nurturing of bestselling novelists to the curation of highly cited journals, our industry has created, disseminated and invested in high-quality content for decades. […] As demand for high-quality content for AI grows, and the potential for great scientific breakthroughs expands, the UK should capitalise on its position as a global content superpower.'

The government is due to respond to the Copyright and Artificial Intelligence consultation on 18 March.