Comprising Motions 62, 64, 65 and 67 plus amendment
Congress notes that creative industry workers are the backbone of the UK’s world-leading performing arts and entertainment industry, yet often find themselves in precarious working conditions.
Generative AI continues to transform work in the industry, as engagers turn to AI to create, for example, synthesised voice content, a digital replica of a performer or to train foundational AI models.
Artists frequently find that their image, likeness or voice has been used in generative AI without consent or remuneration, for uses beyond those originally agreed, and for which engagers rely on broad transfers of intellectual property rights.
Congress recognises the rapid developments in artificial intelligence technologies in recent years, with decisions taken by publishers on the deployment of technologies within newsrooms. AI policies developed by organisations must be produced in conjunction with unions through meaningful engagement that ensures the voices of journalists are considered.
The use of AI within journalism must only ever be as an assistive tool with human oversight, to ensure safeguards including on the protection of public trust and confidence in journalism. As mis/disinformation is promoted by AI technologies, government can play a crucial role through sustainable funding of the BBC World Service, to ensure it has the necessary resources to combat harmful rhetoric.
Congress is alarmed by approaches adopted by big tech seeking financial gain at the expense of rightsholders. Across sectors including books and photography, breaches to legal protections afforded journalists have occurred, leading to the use of protected works without express consent or fair remuneration. Freelance journalists face an uphill battle with limited resources to oppose the unlawful use of their content by AI developers to inform and train technologies.
Developers must be mandated to reveal sources of their training data where breaches have occurred, to allow journalists to seek redress, and legislation must require rightsholders to opt-in, not out to the use of their works.
In 2024–25, the Musicians’ Union and Council of Music Makers took part in government convened negotiations with major labels for fair pay and contract terms. Despite intense government pressure, the major labels refused to pay a greater share of streaming revenue to musicians. Session, or backing, musicians still receive no streaming royalties and many featured artists are stuck on outdated royalty rates negotiated before streaming became the main way that people consume music.
Meanwhile, the government intends to weaken the protection provided by the copyright regime, by introducing an exception to copyright where content is used for the purpose of training AI.
The upcoming artificial intelligence (AI) bill is a historic opportunity to change copyright law and ensure musicians get a fair deal from both AI-generated music and music streaming.
Congress notes the development of the TUC pro-worker AI and innovation strategy.
Congress condemns the:
i. absence of the government publishing the response to their consultation on copyright and AI, which closed in March 2025
ii. government’s delay in introducing a bill to regulate AI, which they announced would be before Christmas 2024, but which has still not been tabled
iii. UK government in following the US by refusing to sign (in February 2025) a statement on inclusive and sustainable artificial intelligence for people and the planet signed by other countries
iv. UK government’s decision in June 2025 to oppose an amendment to the Data Bill that would have forced AI companies to declare if and when they used copyrighted material.
Congress calls on the TUC to campaign to ensure:
a. the AI Bill provides appropriate and proportionate remuneration for musicians from both AI-generated music and music streaming
b. AI developers training on copyright works are required to report which works they trained on and that AI-generated works are appropriately labelled for consumers
c. musicians are given the right to contract adjustment, which would allow old royalty rates to be increased to modern digital royalty rates
d. featured artists, songwriters and composers can claim their rights back from record labels and music publishers after a certain period of time, like in the US
e. the implementation in full of AI for Creative Workers: a TUC manifesto
f. ethical guidelines are developed for backstage, technical and other non-performing roles on use of generative AI tools and content
g. protections for backstage, technical, and support workers whose skills, labour or roles are impacted by generative AI, including where no IP or copyright protections apply
h. AI generated content is labelled as such
i. rights of all workers are protected from AI companies stealing their creative work and to actively campaign for the protection of creative workers’ copyright
j. transparency of production on all products, media and creative works created by AI
k. the government monitors AI usage and properly limits its expansion.
Congress also calls on the TUC to:
1. lobby government to introduce a regime of personality rights, under which artists could better protect and licence their voice, likeness and other aspects of their personal image
2. work with the government and its newly created Information Commissioner to push for improved enforcement of data protection rights in respect of generative AI
3. campaign against the government’s intended introduction of a “text and data mining exception” to copyright protection.
4. support the NUJ’s AI campaign urging an end to rightsholders’ copyright breaches by big tech
5. collect data and information related to the numbers of jobs being lost to AI in the public and private sectors, and its effect on creative self-employed workers
6. work globally with other unions and campaigns to develop AI that is open, transparent, ethical, safe and trustworthy, in order to encourage positive outcomes for labour markets, ensuring sustainable AI while promoting international cooperation and governance.
Mover: Equity
Seconder: Musicians’ Union
Supporters: National Union of Journalists, Artists’ Union of England, Prospect