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Paul McCartney has urged the British government to avoid altering copyright laws in a way that he believes could allow artificial intelligence companies to exploit artists, reports AP. The government is seeking feedback on whether tech firms should be allowed to use copyrighted material to train AI models unless the creators explicitly opt out. AI has enabled a 'final' Beatles song, Paul McCartney says McCartney expressed his concern in an interview with the BBC, warning that such a change could make it more difficult for artists to maintain control over their creations and harm the UK’s creative industries. “Young people come up with beautiful songs, but they don’t own them, and they have no say in how they’re used. Anyone can take them and use them,” the 82-year-old former Beatle said, in an interview set to air on Sunday. An excerpt was shared by the BBC on Saturday. Paul McCartney: John Lennon responsible for Beatle breakup “The reality is, the money is going somewhere. When music hits streaming platforms, someone is profiting, and that someone should be the person who created it, not a tech corporation,” he added. The UK’s Labour Party government aims to position the country as a global leader in AI. In December, it launched a consultation on how copyright laws could balance giving creators control over their works and ensuring AI developers can access diverse, high-quality content. A coalition of publishers, artists’ groups, and media companies, including The Associated Press, have joined forces to oppose any dilution of copyright protections. Paul McCartney writing 'It's a Wonderful Life' stage musical “We’re the people, and you’re the government. Protect us, that’s your role,” McCartney said. “If you’re passing a bill, make sure it shields the creative artists, or you risk losing them.”

Sir Paul McCartney has reunited with his former Beatles bandmate Sir Ringo Starr during a gig at London's O2 Arena. The drummer was brought on stage to thunderous applause before the pair launched into classics Helter Skelter and Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. "I've had a great night and I love you all," Sir Ringo said later as he walked offstage. Thursday's performance was the last in Sir Paul's Got Back tour, which saw the 82-year-old play in France, Spain and Brazil. Sir Ringo was not the only musical guest appearance on Thursday night. Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood joined Sir Paul for a rendition of Get Back, during which the latter played his original Hofner 500/1 bass guitar for the first time in more than 50 years. The instrument was stolen in 1972 but Sir Paul was reunited with it earlier this year. Kennedy Center Honors 2024: Coppola, Grateful Dead, Raitt, Sandoval, and The Apollo Celebrated Sir Paul and Sir Ringo, who are the last surviving core members of The Beatles, have played together a number of times since the band broke up in 1969. That includes at Sir Ringo's 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction and on Sir Paul's last tour, Freshen Up, in 2019. Sir Paul is known for treating his fans to jumbo performances packed with hits from his lengthy musical career, which also includes the band Wings and several solo albums. Thursday night was no difference, with him playing nearly 40 songs on various instruments. Other highlights from Thursday's gig included a performance of In Spite of All the Danger, the first song recorded by the Sir Paul's first band, The Quarrymen, of which the late John Lennon and George Harrison were also members. He was also joined by a children's choir to sing his festive favourite Wonderful Christmastime. Source: With inputs from BBC

Ray Cordeiro considers himself the luckiest radio DJ in the world. In a storied career spanning over 70 years in Hong Kong, Cordeiro has interviewed superstars including the Beatles and Elton John, and even received an MBE — an order of the British empire for outstanding achievement or service to the community — from Queen Elizabeth. Cordeiro, who holds the Guinness world record for the world’s longest-working DJ, retired last month at the age of 96. “I’ve been talking all my life about music and all, and I’d never thought that I would retire. I never thought that I was getting older,” he said. Read:7 Things That Happened On the ‘Friends Reunion’ Cordeiro was born in 1924 in Hong Kong and is of Portuguese descent. His musical tastes as a child were influenced by his brother who was 10 years older and collected records from groups like the Mills Brothers and the Andrews Sisters. Back then records were breakable, Cordeiro said. “When he’s not home and I played his records, I had to be very, very careful, because if I broke it he would get awfully angry,” Cordeiro said. “I grew up with his music.” In his youth, Cordeiro worked as a warden at a local prison and a clerk at an HSBC bank. His love for music eventually led him to pursue a career in radio, where he joined public broadcaster Radio Hong Kong, now known as Radio Television Hong Kong. It was during a three-month study course in London with the BBC in 1964 that Cordeiro landed the interview that kickstarted his career — with the Beatles, the biggest band in the world at the time. He had some free time after the end of the course before he had to return to Hong Kong and didn’t want to “sit around for two weeks doing nothing.” “So I said, why don’t I grab the chance of finding some peeps, some pop groups or singers that I can interview and bring back (tapes) to Hong Kong,” he said. During those two weeks, Cordeiro traveled to venues where groups were performing and interviewed them afterward. The Beatles had become wildly popular and Cordeiro wanted to interview them the most. Armed with a notebook and a pen, he went to the offices of the band’s record label, EMI, to ask for an interview with the group. Read:Jolie says judge in Pitt divorce won’t let children testify By a stroke of luck, he was told to return the next day for an interview, with EMI loaning him a tape recorder for it. He bought a magazine with a picture of the Beatles on the cover and took it with him to the interview, and got all the members to autograph it. “Altogether I have some 26 signatures of all the Beatles, and it’s probably worth a fortune,” he said.