The newly released “Brave New World? Justice for Creators in the Age of GenAI“ report delivers a stark warning about the impact of generative AI on the UK’s creative industries, highlighting urgent concerns around copyright, creator livelihoods, and ethical AI development. Co-launched by the Association of Illustrators (AOI) alongside the Independent Society of Musicians, Society of Authors, Equity, and the Association of Photographers, the report draws on evidence from more than 10,000 creators across music, writing, illustration, photography, and performance. It positions generative AI not just as a technological shift but as a growing threat to human creativity, intellectual property, and fair pay, particularly as AI systems are trained on creative works without consent, credit, or compensation.

The findings reveal a creative sector already under pressure from unregulated AI tools and data scraping. According to the report, one in three creative jobs has been lost to AI, while 99% of creators say their work has been scraped without consent. Illustrators report lost commissions, photographers describe assignments vanishing, and musicians warn of income cuts as AI-generated content replaces paid work. With the UK creative industries contributing £124.6 billion to the economy and supporting around 2.4 million jobs, the report argues that the stakes extend beyond individual artists to the health of a major national industry. It also raises alarms about identity theft, voice cloning, and style imitation, where AI can replicate a creator’s distinctive voice or visual style, creating direct competition with the original human creator.

At the heart of the report is the proposed CLEAR Framework for AI (Consent, Licensing, Ethical use, Accountability, and Remuneration) which calls on the UK Government to put fairness and creators’ rights at the centre of AI policy. Rather than rejecting innovation, the coalition advocates for a human-centred approach that enables responsible AI growth while protecting copyright, personality rights, and sustainable creative careers. By urging policymakers to adopt transparent licensing systems and stronger legal protections, the report frames the future of generative AI as a choice: one that can either erode cultural value and creative diversity or support a thriving, ethical digital economy where technology and human creativity work together.