Creative industries around the world saw major developments related to AI agents this week, with key fights over copyrights and fair pay for artists.

In the United Kingdom, Deborah Annetts, CEO of the Independent Society of Musicians, gave a strong speech about AI dangers. She represents 11,000 musicians and 500,000 creators through her coalition. Annetts criticized the government’s plan for an opt-out system letting AI companies use creative work unless artists explicitly refuse. She called this a threat to the UK’s £125 billion creative economy and urged protection of existing copyright laws. Famous artists like Sir Paul McCartney supported her message.

Meanwhile, in the European Union, creative groups rejected a proposed AI Code of Practice. The code had weak rules letting tech companies make "best efforts" to follow copyrights instead of firm requirements. A crucial line about respecting rights no matter where AI training happens was mysteriously deleted. This helps big non-EU tech firms use European books, music, and films without paying creators. Performers’ unions met with EU leaders to demand stronger protections.

UK politicians showed support for creatives in a Westminster Hall debate. They argued AI shouldn’t replace human artists and stressed the need for clear intellectual property rights. The debate highlighted fears that AI could steal jobs from writers, actors, and musicians.

At SXSW 2025 in the United States, experts discussed balancing AI and human creativity. Sony AI’s president Michael Spranger warned that removing humans from art-making leads to "uninteresting outcomes". He emphasized that copyrights must protect both human-made content fed into AI systems and any AI outputs requiring significant human input. While acknowledging AI’s growing role, speakers agreed guardrails are essential to keep art meaningful.

These global efforts show creators fighting to control how agentic AI uses their work. From Europe’s weakened code to UK political debates, 2025 is becoming a decisive year for setting fair AI rules in creative fields.