Written question asked by Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 20 April 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 5 May 2026. It was answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Labour) on Tuesday, 28 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Sovereign AI Fund

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government whether, when deciding to award (1) equity investment through the Sovereign AI Fund, or (2) access to the AI Research Resource supercomputer network, an assessment is made of whether companies’ training or development of AI models complies with UK copyright law, including the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Answer: The Sovereign AI Fund operates on a commercial basis and within the UK’s existing legal framework. Companies receiving equity investment through Sovereign AI undergo due diligence before receiving funds or other support and are expected to comply with all applicable laws, including UK copyright law.

The Government has been clear that copyright rules should be respected. Use of copyright works to train AI in the UK requires a licence unless an exception applies. Companies supported by the Sovereign AI Fund are expected to comply with applicable UK law.

Secondary information