AI & Creatives’ Rights

Like all academia, AI is a loaded topic in Art and Design Education.

This lesson plan looks at just one aspect: proposed legislative changes easing existing regulations to facilitate AI trawling creative output to ‘train’.

In this free lesson plan, find:

  1. An overview of the current debate.
  2.  Link to video interview between Sir Paul McCartney and Laura Kuenssberg (Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, January 26, 2025), 7 mins, YouTube.
  3.  An Introduction to Reported Speech (also known as Indirect Speech).
  4. Practice Exercises for Reported Speech
    5 A Real World English exercise in Reported Speech.

The Background

The UK government is consulting on whether to allow big tech companies to trawl published writing, music and other creative works unless copyright holders actively opt out.

The government argues that changing the law to presumed consent is a fair way of supercharging the growth of AI companies in the UK while creating an opt out option for artists.

Will it provide “real control” and transparency? Or is it handing the tech firms keys to the back door?

It’t worth noting that across the Atlantic, the Trump administration’s AI policy emphasises all kinds of deregulation to promote rapid technological advancement, including removing barriers to AI development, fostering private-sector innovation and exploiting artists with no such opt out levers.

Around the world, artists, musicians, writers are adding their voice to petitions and debates.

The Grammar

Statements (Reporting What Someone Said)

    • Structure: Subject + said/said that + reported clause
    • Example:
      • Direct: “I love this book,” she said.
      • Reported: She said (that) she loved that book.
    • Key Points:
      • Shift tense back (present → past, past → past perfect, etc.).
      • Pronouns and time/place words often change (this → that, now → then).

The Video

(Embed restrictions apply).

 https://youtu.be/DdxdWxrmjPs

Questions to Answer

  • What does Sir Paul McCartney say about early career artists making money?
  • What does he say about The Beatles making money?
  • What does he say about his own experiences with AI?
  • Why does Laura Kuenssberg list Beatles’ songs?

10 Quotes to Practice Reported Speech:

Download the AI Quotes PDF

Real-World English Practice

Learn what your peers and community think of changing AI legislation.

Work in pairs to ask artists and creatives in your community. Ask at least one person in a position of authority.

Ask a professional international artist/maker.

What alternative ways to legislate artistic authorship can you find?

Present your research to the group next time you meet.

If you were a UK resident, would you sign this petition?

“The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted.”

Sign the Petition (UK residents only)

 

Office Location

True Voice English
St Ninian’s Lodge
Lodge St
Crieff
PH7 4DW

Phone

+44 (0)7530090236

Email

artschoolenglish@bluenoun.co.uk

© Ruth Pringle, 2025