Last week, the UK government proposed a new policy that would allow tech companies to use copyrighted works to train their artificial intelligence algorithms. Under the proposal, artists and companies could opt out of having their material used for AI, but it would otherwise give the companies unfettered access to people's creative work without having to license anything. The proposal has incited widespread anger in the UK's arts communities, and now a team of 1,000 British musicians has released a silent protest album called Is This What We Want?
As SkyNews reports, the new album Is This What We Want? comes from a team of musicians that includes Kate Bush, New Order, Damon Albarn, Annie Lennox, the Clash, the Pet Shop Boys, Hans Zimmer, Imogen Heap, Sam Fender, Simon Le Bon, Billy Ocean, and Jamiroquai. Organizations like the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra are also part of the protest. Tori Amos is on the list of artists, and she's not British, but she lives over there. Together, they've all turned in a 47-minute, 12-track recording of absolute silence, intended to represent the recording studios and venue spaces that could stand empty of AI takes over the music business.
On the Is This What We Want? album, the track titles spell out the phrase "The British Government Must Not Legalise Music Theft To Benefit AI Companies." Kate Bush recorded one of the silent tracks in her own studio. She writes:
Over one thousand musicians are jointly releasing this album today to protest the UK government’s planned changes to copyright law.
If these changes go ahead, the life’s work of all the country’s musicians will be handed over to AI companies for free.
None of us have a say in it.The UK is full of pioneering, highly creative and imaginative artists. The government's willingness to agree to these copyright changes shows how much our work is undervalued and that there is no protection for one of this country's most important assets: music.
Each track on this album features a deserted recording studio. Doesn’t that silence say it all?
I’m very happy to have contributed a track to this project and to join the protest.
Please help protect the music makers and our heartfelt work. We make it for you, not for it to be taken and used against us.
In the music of the future, will our voices go unheard?
The project was spearheaded by Ed Newton-Rex, a composer and former AI executive. He tells The Guardian, "The government’s proposal would hand the life’s work of the country’s musicians to AI companies, for free, letting those companies exploit musicians’ work to outcompete them... It is a plan that would not only be disastrous for musicians, but that is totally unnecessary: the UK can be leaders in AI without throwing our world-leading creative industries under the bus."
Other celebrities like Paul McCartney, Elton John, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ed Sheeran, Simon Cowell, and ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus have made statements or joined campaigns against the proposal, as well. If you like, you can stream the silent album below.
