A new album titled Is This What We Want? showcases over 1,000 musicians and one prominent feature: silence.
Artists like Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Cat Stevens, and Damon Albarn contributed to the album, which was released on Tuesday in protest of proposed changes to U.K. artificial intelligence laws.
The changes, if enacted, would allow tech companies to use copyrighted materials without explicit consent from the creators, a move that artists fear could strip them of control over their work.
The British government is considering allowing AI firms to utilize copyrighted content for training their models unless artists opt out. Opponents argue that this could undermine the creative sector and make it more difficult for musicians to protect their intellectual property. High-profile figures like Elton John and Paul McCartney have publicly opposed the plan.
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The protest album features recordings of vacant studios and performance spaces, symbolizing the potential decline of creative venues under these new policies. The 12 tracks on the album spell out the message: “The British government must not legalize music theft to benefit AI companies.”
Ed Newton-Rex, a composer and AI developer who organized the album, criticized the proposal, saying it would allow AI companies to use musicians’ works without compensation, putting them at a competitive disadvantage. “This is not only harmful to musicians, but it’s entirely unnecessary,” Newton-Rex stated. “The U.K. can lead in AI without sacrificing our world-renowned creative industries.”
The Labour Party government aims to make the U.K. a global leader in AI and recently initiated a consultation on how copyright law can balance the interests of creators and AI developers. The consultation period ends on Tuesday.