Meta’s VP says asking artists for permission would “kill” the AI industry. But what about the people whose work powers it?
“It’s implausible to ask permission.”
— Nick Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs
Let’s be clear from the start: Nick Clegg is doing what he’s paid to do—lobbying for Big Tech.
As reported by The Verge in their article, “Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry”, AI companies like Meta, OpenAI, and Google are building billion-dollar businesses off the backs of unpaid and underpaid artists, musicians, writers—and filmmakers—without their consent.
Clegg, a former UK politician, now VP at Meta, claims it’s “implausible” to ask for permission before using artists’ work to train AI. In other words: copyright is just too inconvenient.
Really?
Try telling every label, composer, publisher, screenwriter, filmmaker, and artist that respecting their rights is an obstacle to innovation. That because asking first is difficult, you’re just going to use the work anyway.
Imagine if every artist took that approach:
🎵 Copy and sell MP3s on Apple Music—no licence, no payment.
📕 Publish someone else’s book with someone else’s cover art—no credit.
🏠 Break into a house, change the locks, sell it at auction—no permission.
It sounds ridiculous—because it is. And yet, that’s exactly what some AI companies are doing with creative content.
Why Is Clegg Advocating for This?
Because:
- He’s a lobbyist for a tech company that benefits from it.
- He holds stock options in Meta.
- And artists, filmmakers, and writers don’t have the legal firepower or lobbying budgets Big Tech does.
Let’s be absolutely clear:
This isn’t about innovation. It’s about exploitation.
It’s not about progress—it’s about power.
Clegg is pushing for a system where consent is optional and compensation is inconvenient. That’s not innovation—that’s theft.
A Red Flag for Every Creative Industry
Nick Clegg couldn’t write, record, or produce a single track—or film—himself. Yet here he is, speaking on behalf of industries he’s never been part of.
It’s like walking into someone’s studio, using their music, and releasing a song in your name—because asking would take too long.
This is a major red flag.
And if you’re a creator—whether you work in music, film, writing, or visual art—you should be deeply concerned.
“Just because something is difficult doesn’t mean it’s ethical to bypass it.”
AI should empower artists—not replace or exploit them.
It should level the playing field, not bulldoze the people on it.
But Clegg and the companies he speaks for seem to value the growth of AI over the survival of culture.
And why not? He’s not a creator.
He doesn’t have skin in the game—just stock in the outcome.
The Future We’re Fighting For
In our world, this isn’t just unfair—it’s an existential threat.
It undermines the very foundation of copyright, licensing, and creative labour.
If we’re not careful, AI won’t just reshape industries—it will concentrate power in the hands of a few, while hollowing out the livelihoods of millions of creatives.
This isn’t the future we signed up for.
Let’s speak up—before it’s too late.
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AI needs to evolve—not artist rights.
And honestly? Even AI might agree with that.