AI does not ‘steal’ content any more than a musician ‘steals’ by practicing Mozart or emulating Chuck Berry. Learning is universal—whether it’s a machine or a human being. Machines, just like artists, analyze and leverage existing knowledge to create something entirely new and original. Demanding royalties for this AI learning process is not only inconsistent but utterly impractical. Should every student or aspiring artist now pay royalties to the composers, writers, or educators who inspired or taught them in their early days? This logic is absurd and lays bare the self-serving nature of their argument.

Elton John and Paul McCartney’s opposition to these well-balanced and fair copyright reforms is both hypocritical and absurd. These icons of music built their legendary careers by freely drawing from the vast pool of cultural and educational resources—music teachers, instructional books, and the works of other artists—without ever paying royalties to those who formed the foundation of their success. Yet now, they selfishly argue that AI, a modern tool for learning and innovation, should be denied the same access to publicly available content that they themselves benefited from. Worse still, they seem intent on blocking the next generation from using the tools of their era to build upon the collective knowledge of humanity, just as every generation has done before them.

AI does not copy or profit from their music; it learns from millions of musical sources to create entirely new, original, and creative compositions. Just as Paul McCartney, Elton John, and every other musician produce their own unique music after listening to, learning from, and drawing inspiration from the works of other artists—who never received a share of their profits—AI operates on the same principles of inspiration and innovation. The fact that this process is performed by a machine does not diminish its originality, just as using recording technology to produce albums or streaming platforms to distribute their music—rather than performing live—does not negate their right to profit.

The ability to learn and create original music, inspired by the works of countless other musicians, is an undeniable fundamental human right—one that no law can override, obstruct, or restrict. You don’t need permission to do so. This has been the way of humanity since the beginning: we learn, create, and draw inspiration from one another.

If Elton John and Paul McCartney believe you cannot be inspired by their music to create your own original work, that’s their issue, not yours. By sharing their music with the public, they relinquished the right to restrict others from learning from it and using it as inspiration to create something original.

Innovation thrives on the free flow of knowledge. Blocking AI from accessing publicly available data would stifle progress and contradict the very principles of creativity that these artists claim to champion. Instead of clinging to outdated notions of entitlement, they should recognize that progress—whether human or machine—depends on shared knowledge. Their stance isn’t about protecting creativity; it’s about protecting profits at the expense of progress.

Their fear-mongering does nothing but highlight their unwillingness to embrace the modern world of innovation—a world built on the same shared principles that made their own success possible.