IP, innovation and imagination: what AI means for the creative economy
AI in Harmony: Innovation, Investment & the Future of Creativity - hosted in the stunning Kings Cross by Sony Music Entertainment
It’s been a huge fortnight across tech, data, IP, budgets, policy and beyond. As the UK’s new Data Bill passed through the House of Commons yesterday, last night’s AI in Harmony: Innovation, Investment & the Future of Creativity—hosted by UKAI and Sony Music Entertainment—felt especially timely.
In conversation with Sony Music, the event brought together some of the industry’s most influential voices for a vital and forward-looking discussion:
Victoria Oakley (CEO, IFPI)
Dennis Kooker (President, Global Business, Sony Music Entertainment)
Dan Neely (CEO, Vermillio AI)
Geoff Taylor MBE (EVP of AI, Sony Music Entertainment)
Main panel takeaways...
▪️ The future of creative licensing will be powered by smart contracting and billions of micro-transactions, not just '10 mega-deals'. AI can help defend against piracy, automate content creation, and scale artist marketing.
▪️ AI & generative tech is the current wave and combines traits of both previous waves (streaming + download eras) - high risk and opportunity.
▪️ Guardrails matter. It’s possible to embrace AI and respect IP — artists must be properly credited, compensated, and protected where AI has trained on or used their work.
▪️ AI may support background/functional music use (e.g. lo-fi, sleep tracks), but truly resonant music still comes from meaningful human experiences.
▪️ AI isn’t about replacing humans — it’s about removing friction, boosting creativity, and giving artists new tools to reach fans.
Thank for the invitation Tim Flagg; good to see a few familiar faces Matt Hervey and Ausrine Skarnulyte.
#AI #IP #GenerativeAI #CreativeFutures #Databill #comedyIP
