BFI report claims 130,000 scripts have been used to train AI models

AI is in a bit of a Wild West phase right now. As many people are still getting used to the existence of the technology and the capabilities of it, legislation is behind the growing trend of AI models. This means that a lot of models are freely using copyrighted content to learn and grow.

A new bit of research from the British Film Institute (BFI) claims that more than 130,000 scripts have been used to train AI models. Via Deadline, the report claims that the use of copyrighted content by AI is the "dominant concern" around the technology.

"As generative models learn the structure and language of screen storytelling - from text, images and video - they can then replicate those structures and create new outputs at a fraction of the cost and expense of the original works," reads the report. "These learned capabilities can be used to assist human creatives, but AI tools may also be used to compete against the original creators whose work they were trained on."

UK legislators are currently considering an option for copyright holders to opt out of their content being used for AI training purposes. But, there are fears that the UK government is doing too little, too late to save the country's film industry.

"Without strategic planning, the UK screen sector may find itself outpaced by global competitors and new AI-native studios," wrote BFI research director Rishi Coupland. "The sector's future may depend on its ability to harness AI's benefits while mitigating its risks."