In an unprecedented move, more than 1,000 prominent musicians have released a completely silent album titled "Is This What We Want?" to protest proposed changes to British copyright laws that would allow AI companies to use artists' work without permission.
The album, featuring recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, includes renowned artists like Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Billy Ocean among its co-writers. While individual artists behind the 12 silent tracks remain uncredited, sources indicate Kate Bush recorded one of them in her studio.
"In the music of the future, will our voices go unheard?" Bush questioned in response to the UK government's proposals that would permit AI companies to train their models on any material they can legally access, unless creators explicitly opt out.
Ed Newton-Rex, the British composer and former AI executive who organized the protest, emphasized that the government's plan would effectively give AI companies free access to musicians' life work, enabling them to compete against the very artists they're copying.
The track listings deliberately spell out the message: "The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies." All proceeds from the album, available on Spotify, will support Help Musicians, a UK charity serving current and retired musicians.
The protest coincides with the closing of a government consultation on copyright law changes. A government spokesperson defended the proposals, stating current copyright and AI laws were limiting the creative industries' potential, while promising continued engagement with affected sectors.
The silent album protest joins other actions, including newspaper front pages displaying "Make It Fair" and an open letter in The Times signed by cultural figures like Stephen Fry, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Ed Sheeran opposing the proposed changes.
Critics argue the "opt-out" system is impractical, as it would require individual creators to notify thousands of AI service providers not to use their work, while already struggling to monitor existing copyright infringement online.