News Summary

Around 10,000 authors, including prominent figures like Kazuo Ishiguro, Philippa Gregory, and Richard Osman, have united to publish an ’empty’ book titled ‘Don’t Steal This Book’ as a protest against AI companies using their work without permission. The book, featuring only the names of the contributing authors, is being distributed at the London Book Fair. This protest highlights the tension between creative professionals and AI firms, with authors seeking to protect their copyright against unauthorized use. The UK government is expected to release an economic impact assessment of proposed changes in copyright law, which could allow AI companies to use copyrighted works without explicit permission. The protest is a response to concerns that generative AI models are built on unlicensed creative works, potentially harming the livelihoods of writers and artists.