Letter to the Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP. - UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Dear Ms Nandy,

Intelligence, Creativity and Britain's Cultural Future

I am writing to introduce GENERAL INTELLIGENCE PLC, a Scottish company established in 1896 and to bring to your attention a substantial portfolio of British intellectual property concerned with intelligence, artificial intelligence and its application across different industries.

Your responsibilities encompass several areas which are central to Britain's economic and cultural identity: digital technology, the creative industries, media, arts, heritage, sport, tourism and the wider cultural life of the country.

I believe the increasing influence of artificial intelligence creates an important opportunity to consider these areas together, particularly in relation to the future of human creativity, intellectual property, cultural production and the commercial value of original ideas.

The central question is not simply what artificial intelligence can produce. It is how society, businesses and creative institutions should understand, develop and protect the intellectual and cultural value of human and artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence and human creativity

Artificial intelligence is changing the environment in which creative work is conceived, produced, distributed and commercialised.

It is already influencing the development of written material, visual art, music, film, television, design, digital content and other forms of creative production. Its capabilities are likely to become increasingly sophisticated.

This creates opportunities for new forms of expression, more efficient production processes, new audiences and new commercial markets. It also raises important questions concerning authorship, ownership, attribution, consent, remuneration and the protection of existing intellectual property.

These questions should not be considered solely as matters of technology or regulation. They go to the heart of how Britain values creativity, rewards original work and sustains the industries which contribute so much to its cultural identity and international reputation.

Our central proposition is:

Artificial intelligence is a means, not an end.

Technology should enhance human capability and expand the possibilities available to individuals and organisations. Its development should be accompanied by a clear understanding of the human, cultural and commercial purposes it is intended to serve.

The distinction between artificial intelligence and intelligence more broadly is important. Creativity, imagination, interpretation, judgement and the ability to give meaning to ideas are not simply technical processes. They are fundamental aspects of human intellectual and cultural life.

GENERAL INTELLIGENCE PLC

GENERAL INTELLIGENCE PLC is a Scottish company established in 1896. Its current activities include artificial intelligence consultancy and the development of intellectual property concerned with intelligence across a wide range of commercial and professional disciplines.

The company has developed thirty named intelligence-related consultancy frameworks, supported by more than one hundred additional intelligence-related intellectual-property assets.

The work reflects a long-term interest in intelligence as a subject extending beyond technology into the way people and organisations understand information, exercise judgement, create, innovate and make decisions.

Thirty consultancy frameworks

The company's thirty frameworks are structured intellectual approaches developed for different commercial, industrial and professional contexts. They are consultancy frameworks and intellectual-property assets, rather than thirty artificial intelligence products, foundation models or deployed software systems.

They comprise:

  1. ABSOLUTE INTELLIGENCE® — Chartered financial analysts and investment analysis.
  2. ADAPTIVE INTELLIGENCE® — General insurance.
  3. ALTERNATIVE INTELLIGENCE® — Alternative investment analysis.
  4. APPLIED INTELLIGENCE® — Insurance underwriting.
  5. AUGMENTED® — Insurance.
  6. AUTHENTIC® — Specialist insurance.
  7. AUTONOMOUS® — Life assurance.
  8. AUTOTELIC® — Yacht insurance.
  9. BIONIC INTELLIGENCE® — Managing general agents.
  10. EMBODIED INTELLIGENCE® — Personal accident insurance.
  11. ENTERPRISE INTELLIGENCE® — Enterprise organisations.
  12. EXPONENTIAL INTELLIGENCE® — Redundancy insurance.
  13. FRONTIER INTELLIGENCE® — Offshore energy insurance.
  14. GENERAL INTELLIGENCE® — Asset management.
  15. GENIUS® — Investment banking.
  16. GENUINE INTELLIGENCE® — Jewellers' block insurance.
  17. HYPERINTELLIGENCE® — Commercial banking.
  18. INFINITE INTELLIGENCE® — Kidnap and ransom insurance.
  19. INTELLIGENCE® — Retail banking.
  20. NEURAL INTELLIGENCE® — General insurance agencies.
  21. REAL INTELLIGENCE® — Fine art and specie insurance.
  22. RECURSIVE INTELLIGENCE® — Reinsurance organisations.
  23. REFLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE® — Reinsurance brokers.
  24. SENTIENT® — Financial advisory.
  25. SINGULARITY® — General insurance.
  26. SUPERHUMAN® — Risk management.
  27. SUPERINTELLIGENCE® — Financial technology.
  28. TRUE INTELLIGENCE® — Chartered financial planners.
  29. UNIVERSAL INTELLIGENCE® — Film and television production insurance.
  30. X® — Building societies.

The frameworks span a range of sectors, but their collective significance lies in the wider proposition that intelligence is relevant to every area of human and commercial activity.

One framework has a particularly direct connection with your department: UNIVERSAL INTELLIGENCE®, developed in the context of film and television production insurance. It illustrates the company's interest in the specialist commercial environments surrounding creative production, alongside its broader work on intelligence.

The future of Britain's creative industries

The creative industries are an important part of Britain's economic strength and international identity. Film, television, music, publishing, design, advertising, gaming, architecture and the wider cultural sector generate economic activity while also shaping how Britain is understood around the world.

Artificial intelligence presents these industries with both opportunities and difficult questions.

There is potential to improve production processes, develop new creative tools, support smaller businesses and make certain forms of production more accessible. At the same time, the increasing ability of artificial intelligence systems to generate material raises questions about the use of existing creative works, the rights of creators and the economic arrangements upon which creative industries depend.

I believe several principles deserve particular attention.

The value of original human creativity

The development of artificial intelligence should not diminish the importance of original human creativity or the contribution of the individuals and teams responsible for creative work.

The ability to generate content at scale does not, by itself, establish its cultural significance, originality or value.

Britain's creative industries depend upon talent, imagination, expertise and the ability to develop ideas which resonate with audiences. These qualities should remain central to the development of the sector.

Intellectual property and appropriate recognition

The relationship between artificial intelligence and intellectual property requires careful consideration.

Creators, performers, writers, musicians, designers, producers and other rights holders have legitimate interests in how their work is used and commercialised.

The development of artificial intelligence should take proper account of ownership, attribution, consent, licensing and remuneration. The objective should be an environment in which technological innovation and the protection of creative work can develop together.

New creative and commercial opportunities

Artificial intelligence may enable new forms of creative production, collaboration and distribution.

It may also create opportunities for independent producers, smaller creative businesses and specialist practitioners to access capabilities which were previously available only to organisations with substantial resources.

The challenge is to ensure that the resulting economic opportunities are accessible across the creative ecosystem and that the value created is not concentrated exclusively among the largest technology providers.

The international position of British creativity

Britain has considerable cultural influence internationally. Its creative industries, institutions, artists, performers, writers, producers and heritage contribute to its reputation and soft power.

The development of artificial intelligence creates an opportunity to extend this influence into new forms of digital creativity and cultural production.

However, maintaining Britain's international position will require continued investment in talent, intellectual property, skills, original content and the commercial capabilities of its creative businesses.

Digital development and cultural participation

The digital environment is increasingly central to how people access information, participate in culture, communicate and engage with public services.

The opportunities created by artificial intelligence should be considered alongside the importance of digital inclusion, accessibility, media literacy and public trust.

Technological progress should expand participation and access, rather than create new barriers for individuals or communities.

A wider conception of intelligence

Although the creative industries provide an immediate point of connection with your department, I believe the portfolio raises a broader question concerning the relationship between intelligence and culture.

Human societies have always developed ways of preserving, communicating and extending knowledge. Literature, music, art, architecture, science, education and the media are all expressions of human intelligence.

Artificial intelligence represents a new development in that history. Its significance should be considered not simply in terms of what machines can generate, but in terms of how it may change the way human beings create, communicate, understand and participate in cultural life.

The distinction between producing information and creating meaning will become increasingly important.

The opportunity for British intellectual property

There is also a wider economic dimension.

Britain should seek to develop and retain intellectual property in the fields of intelligence, artificial intelligence and their commercial applications.

The ownership and development of original intellectual assets can support specialist businesses, consultancy services, licensing opportunities, commercial partnerships and internationally marketable expertise.

GENERAL INTELLIGENCE PLC represents an example of a British company which has developed a substantial portfolio in this field.

Its thirty consultancy frameworks and wider intellectual-property assets provide a basis for considering how intelligence can be applied in different sectors, including those with direct relevance to the creative economy.

I believe there may be opportunities to examine selected frameworks in conjunction with creative businesses, production companies, technology developers and other appropriate partners.

Such work could identify where the intellectual property has practical application, where further development would be worthwhile and where new commercial opportunities might emerge.

A practical opportunity for DCMS

I would welcome consideration of whether the company's work could contribute constructively to the wider discussion concerning artificial intelligence, intellectual property and the future of Britain's creative and cultural industries.

There are several areas in which a more focused examination may be worthwhile:

  1. Creative production: exploring the relevance of intelligence-related frameworks to film, television and other creative production environments.
  2. Intellectual property: examining the commercial and organisational implications of increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence systems for creators and rights holders.
  3. Creative enterprise: considering how smaller creative businesses might use artificial intelligence to develop new capabilities and commercial opportunities.
  4. Human and artificial creativity: examining the relationship between human creative judgement and the growing capabilities of artificial intelligence.
  5. International markets: identifying opportunities to develop British intellectual property and specialist consultancy expertise for international application.
  6. Cultural institutions: considering the implications of artificial intelligence for the preservation, interpretation and accessibility of cultural knowledge.

I recognise that these matters fall across a range of policy, regulatory, commercial and cultural responsibilities. I am not suggesting that GENERAL INTELLIGENCE PLC's frameworks should replace existing Government policy, intellectual-property law, industry standards or the work of established cultural and creative institutions.

Nor am I suggesting that the portfolio, simply by virtue of its existence, establishes a case for public funding or Government endorsement.

My intention is to bring the intellectual property to your attention and establish whether there may be a worthwhile basis for further examination.

Britain's cultural and intellectual future

The United Kingdom's cultural influence is one of its most valuable national assets. Its creative industries contribute not only to economic activity, but also to the country's identity, international relationships and ability to influence the wider world.

The development of artificial intelligence will create profound changes in the environment in which culture is produced, distributed and experienced.

I believe Britain should approach this transition with ambition and intellectual seriousness: embracing the opportunities of new technology while recognising the enduring importance of human creativity, original intellectual property, cultural institutions and the people who sustain them.

The objective should be a future in which technological progress strengthens Britain's creative capacity, expands opportunity and supports the continued development of internationally successful cultural and commercial enterprises.

GENERAL INTELLIGENCE PLC would welcome the opportunity to contribute to that wider consideration.

I would be pleased to provide you with a fuller presentation of the company's intellectual-property portfolio and its thirty consultancy frameworks and to discuss whether there may be a constructive basis for engagement with you or the appropriate members of your department.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

X from GENERAL INTELLIGENCE PLC

X is a registered trade mark of GENERAL INTELLIGENCE PLC.
It was registered in 1896 with company number: SC003234