Silent AI Protest Album Features 1,000 Artists, Including Kate Bush and Damon Albarn.

Over 1,000 musicians, including famous artists like Kate Bush, Damon Albarn, and Annie Lennox, have come together to release a silent album called “Is This What We Want?” This album is a form of protest against the UK government’s plans that would allow artificial intelligence (AI) companies to use music and other copyright-protected works without obtaining permission. As concerns grow, many celebrities are speaking out against these proposals, fearing for their livelihoods.

Prominent figures in the cultural scene, such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, Björn Ulvaeus from ABBA, actress Julianne Moore, and authors like Val McDermid and Richard Osman, have all voiced their worries about the potential changes to copyright laws. They believe that the proposed laws would compromise their intellectual property and allow tech companies to exploit their work without compensation.

The silent album symbolizes how these changes could harm artists financially. Ed Newton-Rex, the British composer who initiated this project, explained that the government’s proposal would essentially give away musicians’ life work to AI companies for free, allowing these companies to use the artists’ music to create competing products. He emphasized that this approach would not only hurt musicians but is also unnecessary, stating that the UK could become a leader in AI while still protecting its creative industries.

This album serves as a protest against a government initiative that seeks to allow AI companies to train their systems using creative professionals’ work without permission under a new copyright exception. The plan does include an option for creators to opt out, but many critics argue that this is neither fair nor practical.

The album itself features 12 silent tracks, with more than 1,000 artists listed as co-writers. Interestingly, while individual artists are not named, it is known that Kate Bush contributed to one of the silent tracks and raised concerns about whether the voices of musicians will be acknowledged in the future. The co-writers include a range of notable musicians like Tori Amos, Billy Ocean, and Hans Zimmer, as well as the Kanneh-Mason family of classical musicians. The track listing carries a strong message: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.” Proceeds from the album, which can be found on streaming platforms like Spotify, will go to the charity Help Musicians.

The disagreement about AI’s use of copyrighted materials comes from how these companies develop their technologies. AI models, such as those used in tools like ChatGPT and music generators, are trained on vast amounts of internet data, allowing them to mimic or generate responses based on patterns they recognize from that data. However, much of this data includes artistic works, leading to numerous lawsuits from creators and companies seeking to protect their rights.

Some organizations have opted to collaborate with AI firms by signing licensing agreements, including the Guardian, which has partnered with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.

The release of the silent album coincides with the conclusion of a government consultation on copyright law, which appears to favor exempting AI companies from certain legal responsibilities. Other protests marking the conclusion of this consultation include daily newspapers like the Guardian featuring the slogan “Make It Fair” on their front pages, accusing the government of favoring large tech companies.

A letter published in the Times signed by 34 prominent individuals, including figures like Barbara Broccoli and Stephen Fry, also criticizes the government’s position. It claims that the proposed changes represent a significant transfer of rights and financial resources from the creative sectors to big tech firms. Fry compared allowing such exploitation to letting pests damage a garden, warning against jeopardizing the creative industries for the sake of economic growth.

In response, a UK government spokesperson stated that the current copyright framework limits the potential of the creative and tech industries, indicating that new measures are necessary to balance the interests of AI developers and rights holders so both can thrive.