Due Process
On political timing, text and data mining, and Silicon Fen arriving
Timing is everything in politics: when to call that election, when to U-turn on an unpopular policy, and when the moment’s right to spend more time with the family. It also matters to those trying to influence politics. You can have the best ideas in the world – or the worst – but you need to wait for a window of opportunity. When it comes to AI and copyright, that moment is now.
We’ve been talking about this for a fair while, and back in January last year we set out the challenges in our ‘Ronseal’ paper: Can the UK become competitive on text-and-data mining for AI? While we didn’t take an exact line on the solution, we wanted to draw attention to the fact that other countries were moving faster than the United Kingdom in securing the legal foundations for training AI models, with Japan, Singapore and the European Union each providing competitive models for the UK to consider.
Over recent months, this issue has become front-page news thanks to artists like Elton John, Paul McCartney and Dua Lipa adding their celebrated voices to the debate. Sadly, I don’t think this thorny policy is going to be solved by even the genius behind Yesterday – anyone who has a simple solution to what’s going on is either deluding themselves or lying to you.
As a new survey of 500 UK-based AI developers and investors revealed this week, there is a near-unanimous reliance on text and data mining (TDM) – the process of using automated techniques to train AI models. Of those surveyed, 99% said TDM is essential, while 76% said the absence of a copyright exemption for TDM – like that in the US, EU, or Japan – would make the UK less attractive for AI investment
For our part, we have a modest recommendation: listen to experts, including entrepreneurs. This is actually the Government line, as Ministers and officials pore over the 11,000 responses to a consultation they launched on copyright and AI in December 2024.
However, this process could all be derailed. On the back of the Data (Use and Access) Bill – a separate piece of legislation which addresses a broad range of priorities related to data – Peers have proposed adding changes to that Bill regarding how UK copyright law is applied to AI services.
Among other things, it would require developers to disclose comprehensive information regarding all text and data used in the pre-training, training and fine-tuning of general purpose AI on a monthly basis.
These proposals have been introduced outside the process of consultation that was launched precisely to inform the Government’s approach on copyright and AI. It’s a divisive issue, but surely we can all agree that any proposals with significant implications for businesses and innovation should be considered through proper channels. What’s the point of asking industry for their views if they are just going to be ignored?
Now is the time to act. It may seem perverse to dynamic founders who can pivot on a sixpence, but Westminster is a place where inertia too often rules the roost. Once the legislative train leaves the station, it can become impossible to switch tracks – even when many on board know their going the wrong way.
If you’re a founder, investor or just an interested party, drop me an email to find out how you could get involved.
Take a Punt
On Wednesday, we are hosting our second Young Entrepreneurs Forum Meetup in Cambridge. If you are a young founder – or wannabe founder – in or around the area, it would be great to see you there. (If you know of any young founders who you think should know, either pass this on or tag them in this LinkedIn post, which also helps get the word out either wider.)
The Young Entrepreneurs Forum is an international project from The Entrepreneurs Network. It aims to connect and empower young entrepreneurs who are building incredible things across the world, and to influence governments to create better enabling environments for young entrepreneurs.
Here to Help
What is holding back your business from growing? If it’s a policy issue, we will let policymakers know. If it’s not, we may be able to put you in touch with someone from our network who can help.
Our Next Events
TEN x Connected.Ventures: Ecosystem Builders Meetup
🗓 Wednesday, 7 May 2025
🕐 9am to 10am
📍 IDEALondon, Shoreditch
ℹ️ An informal morning meetup for entrepreneurship ecosystem builders at IDEALondon
⏩ Request a place
Young Entrepreneurs Forum: Cambridge Meetup
🗓 Wednesday, 7 May 2025
🕐 6pm to 8pm
📍 Cambridge
ℹ️ A social in Cambridge for the Young Entrepreneurs Forum
⏩ Request a place
Dinner with Daisy Cooper MP: Making the UK the Best Place for Entrepreneurs to Thrive
🗓 Tuesday, 3 June 2025
🕐 7pm to 9.30pm
📍 S&W, London
ℹ️ A private dinner to explore policy ideas for boosting entrepreneurship and growth more broadly
⏩ Request a place
News and Views
British innovators are getting better access to the £80 billion Horizon Europe research programme
Changes were made to the Data Bill – which some fear could hamper Britain’s domestic AI industry
We published our thirty-first instalment of Three Big Ideas
Our Research Director Eamonn Ives argued the case against mandating businesses to take cash
Britain’s pension industry feels it is being ‘strongarmed’ into investment pledges by the Government (Paywall – Financial Times)
Revenue raised from Capital Gains Tax has fallen 10% as wealth creators leave the UK (Paywall – The Times)
The Economic and Social Research Council’s Executive Chair said it should be easier for non-university organisations to apply for research funding (Paywall – Research Professional News)
Capital and talent is fleeing Britain at an alarming rate, warns Maggie Pagano (Paywall – Reaction)
Why we shouldn’t badmouth European startups that move to America
Mapping Britain’s progress community
Friends of the Network
Third House x Sustainable Ventures: Foundations for Growth
🗓 Wednesday, 7 May 2025
🕐 5pm to 7pm
📍 Sustainable Ventures, London
ℹ️ Join Third House at Sustainable Ventures for a deep dive into building strong foundations for sustainable growth
⏩ Find out more
The Enterprise Accelerators Festival 2025
🗓 Monday, 12 May 2025
🕐 11am to 3pm
📍 Online
ℹ️ An online conference for people who support entrepreneurship
⏩ Find out more (For free tickets use the code: TEN3)
ScaleUp Northern Ireland
🗓 Thursday, 15th May 2025
🕐 10.30am to 1pm
📍 Ormeau Baths, Belfast,
ℹ️ The ScaleUp Institute with the London Stock Exchange and the Northern Ireland Ecosystem is hosting a ScaleUp event
⏩ Find out more
Best wishes,
Philip
Philip Salter
Founder
The Entrepreneurs Network