Sir Kazuo Ishiguro and the King talk AI's threat to creatives - and a path forward
At Windsor Castle, Sir Kazuo Ishiguro, 70, was made a Companion of Honour for services to literature. In a brief exchange, the King raised a clear concern: the threat artificial intelligence could pose to creative people.
"He asked me about my writing," Ishiguro said, noting the King stressed it's "important to keep battling on that front." There wasn't time for detail, but the message was direct: protect creative work while the tech moves fast.
Copyright isn't optional - it's the point
Ishiguro has backed efforts protesting the unlicensed use of creative work to train generative AI. His stance is firm but balanced. He doesn't object to AI learning from creative work in principle - he objects to the way it's being done when copyrights are ignored.
He pointed out that his own books have been used to train AI systems. His line in the sand is simple: respect consent, credit, and compensation. Treat creative work like a researcher would treat a source, not a dataset to raid.
Not anti-AI - pro-people
He's also "quite optimistic" about AI's upside. The benefits are real if society sets guardrails. Build systems that work for people, not around them, and we can use the technology without erasing the source of the ideas.
Practical moves for creatives right now
- Use clear licensing. Add plain-English terms for training and synthetic reuse in your contracts and website.
- Track and prove provenance. Embed creator info and use content credentials where possible.
- Register key works. It strengthens your position if you need to enforce your rights.
- Set platform settings. Opt out of AI training where tools allow, and review them regularly.
- Audit your portfolio online. Look for unauthorized mirrors or datasets listing your work.
- Join collective efforts. Guilds and trade bodies are pushing for consent, credit, and pay.
- Use AI on your terms. Delegate repetitive tasks; keep taste, style, and judgment firmly yours.
Ishiguro's body of work - and a rare honour
Sir Kazuo is known for The Remains Of The Day (1989), which won the Man Booker Prize and became an acclaimed film starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Dame Emma Thompson, and for Never Let Me Go (2005). He also wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay for Living (2022), starring Bill Nighy.
The Order of the Companions of Honour was founded in 1917 by George V and is limited to 65 members at a time, recognising long-standing contributions in fields like arts, science, medicine, and government. Learn more about the distinction on the Royal Family's site: royal.uk.
Of the ceremony, he called the honour "wonderful" and said his first visit to Windsor Castle was "quite overwhelming" for its beauty.
Want to build AI skills without giving up your voice?
Explore practical training and tools that fit creative work, from prompts to workflow automation: Complete AI Training - courses by job.
Further reading
- UK policy work on AI and intellectual property: Government consultation on AI and IP
Your membership also unlocks:
