The UK government has launched a consultation to seek evidence and views on:

• The extent that copyright and patents should protect inventions and creative works made by AI

• How to make it easier to use copyright-protected material in AI development

They are consulting on three specific areas:

1. Copyright protection for computer-generated works without a human author. These are currently protected in the UK for 50 years. But should they be protected at all and if so, how should they be protected?

2. Licensing or exceptions to copyright for text and data mining, which is often significant in AI use and development.

3. Patent protection for AI-devised inventions. Should we protect them, and if so, how should they be protected?