They are going to offer creators transparency legislation *later*, in return for upending copyright law & letting AI companies train on people’s life’s work without permission.
His justification for rejecting transparency legislation, given in the House of Commons today (video below):
“If we’re going to get to that proper compromise solution [between creators and AI companies], it’s going to require all the bits of the jigsaw to be put together into a comprehensive picture.”
That is: if creators want to know when AI companies are using their work, they’re going to have to give up their rights.
There is no other way of interpreting this comment I can think of. He is saying creators can’t get transparency from AI companies without giving something up. And there is nothing to give up except their current rights under the law, which compel AI companies to ask their permission before using their work.
Bryant & co. have given no other reason to reject transparency legislation. AI companies are breaking the law, and government refuses to hold them to account.
IMO this is awful treatment of the creative sector by the government. Commercial generative AI training on copyrighted work without a license is illegal in the UK; creators cannot enforce their rights, because training happens behind closed doors; the government won’t empower creators to enforce their rights without requiring them to give up other rights.
I hope I’m wrong, and that this is not the government’s plan – but I see no other conclusion you can draw from Bryant’s words here.