Fresh off OpenAI’s call for fair use exemptions, which I posted about on LinkedIn with great discussions from our community, Google decided to jump on this anti-copyright bandwagon and submitted a similar proposal to the US government – arguing that AI companies should be able to train models on copyrighted material without needing permission.

Their justification? You guessed it – China!

Like OpenAI, they argue that limiting access to copyrighted content will put the U.S. at a disadvantage against China in the so-called, AI race.

OpenAI’s recent claims that AI progress is impossible without unfettered access to copyrighted works is framed around this new narrative peddled by the tech sector as a national security issue, arguing that AI firms based in the U.S. are facing regulatory strain, while China advances unfazed.

Sound familiar? The “AI war” narrative is in full swing.

Yet, OpenAI and Google’s push comes amid growing resistance from creative industries, media outlets, and legal challenges. Over 400 artists, writers, and Hollywood figures have publicly condemned these proposals, arguing that Big Tech is attempting to exploit creative works without compensation.

Furthermore, over 60 newspapers, including the New York Daily News and Chicago Tribune, have also criticised these attempts, warning that eroding copyright protections could devastate journalism and the arts.

But I also had a revelation yesterday (March 19th, 2025) while visiting The Northern School of Arts who gave us such legends as Ridley Scott – the English director best-known for Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Gladiator (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), The Martian (2015), House of Gucci (2021) and so many more. They highlighted that in, the UK alone, the creative industries contributed £124bn ($160 USD) in gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy in 2023. This is equivalent to 5.2% of the GVA of the whole UK economy!

This is also the sector that is highly reliant on copyright and intellectual property (IP) protections to help artists and creators protect and monetise their works. You take away their rights, you take over the £124bn market.

As I have painfully liberated myself from the shareholder-driven tech-hyped journey, I made an effort to get myself out of London’s Silicon Roundabout tech bubble to visit schools, universities and businesses outside the metropolitan elitist village since 2022. I quickly realised how deeply and disturbingly delusional we are in the tech sector.

Let’s be clear: These AI firms, and certainly Google, are not struggling because of restrictive copyright laws—they are struggling because they have built models on the assumption that scraping copyrighted content is fair game. And as court rulings start to challenge that premise, they are now turning to policymakers to rewrite the rules in their favour.

As I have said before, nothing stifles innovation apart from:

• Lack of funds and resources; and
• Lack of imagination

Also, let’s not forget that, despite U.S.-imposed restrictions, Chinese companies have managed to develop their own competitive AI models like Deepseek – which I have discussed in detail on The CEO Retort podcast. The idea that these tech companies “need” access to copyrighted works to survive is nothing but a smokescreen for their failure to build sustainable business models.

At stake here is your right to own and control your work, especially in the creative and deeptech sectors. Minimising or abolishing copyright protection is an attack on individual ownership, creativity, and privacy—your fundamental human rights. We cannot allow AI companies to reframe this as a battle for innovation when, in reality, it is a blatant power grab viz a campaign of a highly aggressive data grab.

Now Google joins OpenAI in pushing misleading narratives that serve only to strengthen corporate control at the expense of creators. They claim this is about “fair use” and “innovation”—but let’s be real: This is about consolidating power.

And if you think this is not connected to the broader conversation about AI’s exploitation of human creativity and identity, think again. As I wrote earlier today on LinkedIn, Meta’s deregulation of its platform has enabled a new industry of AI deepfake accounts to steal content from real influencers and sell it online—including fake AI-generated influencers with Down syndrome being used for adult content!

This is not just about copyright anymore—this is about control, exploitation, and the dehumanisation of creativity itself. If the tech sector is allowed to rewrite the rules in their favour, expect more of these abuses, not less.

As always, please challenge these narratives, demand accountability, and remember that your work, your voice, and your identity are worth protecting, even if you believe in deregulation.