> Because the existing laws about theft and copyright don't cover "learning from billions of examples and interpolating or extrapolating from them".

Here are the UK exceptions to copyright.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptions-to-copyright

Note how there is an exception for automatic processing - but only for non-commerial use and note the researchers still have to pay for access.

There is also a 'fair dealing' clause.

The key clause here is:

"does using the work affect the market for the original work?"

Content creators are strongly asserting that what these tech companies is doing does.

Also "s the amount of the work taken reasonable and appropriate? Was it necessary to use the amount that was taken? Usually only part of a work may be used"

Obviously the entire works are being consumed.

> Because the existing laws about theft and copyright don't cover "learning from billions of examples and interpolating or extrapolating from them".

Laws are written in a way where they attempt to predict the future - they are written from a first pirnciples approach - such as the fair dealing clause above - so your claim that it doesn't explicitly ban it is a red herring.