Collective licence to ensure UK authors get paid for works used to train AI

Authors protest outside Meta offices over the company’s alleged copyright breach when using books to train AI. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock

UK licensing bodies have announced a “pioneering” collective licence that will allow authors to be paid for the use of their works to train generative AI models.

The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) – which is directed by the Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS) and the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), representing publishers and authors – will develop the licence, set to be the first of its kind in the UK.