(MENAFN) Author Sir Philip Pullman has urged the government to amend copyright laws in response to the practice of "scraping," where the works of authors are used to train artificial intelligence (AI) software to comprehend and generate human language.

The process involves utilizing writers' books without their permission, and many authors, including Kate Mosse and Richard Osman, have voiced strong disapproval. They argue that it could undermine growth in creative industries and amounts to "theft."

Pullman, best known for his acclaimed His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust trilogies, believes that authors should receive compensation for the use of their works.

In an interview with the BBC, he expressed his stance, saying, "They can do what they like with my work if they pay me for it. But stealing people's work... and then passing it off as something else... That's immoral but unfortunately not illegal."

Last December, a consultation was initiated to evaluate the UK's legal framework regarding copyright in the AI sector and creative industries.

This effort garnered 11,500 responses from the public. In response, the government has formed expert working groups to address the intersection of AI and copyright.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has been contacted for a comment on Sir Philip's remarks.

MENAFN22102025000045017167ID1110232025