Over 1000 musicians release silent albums in protest of controversial new law
Over 1,000 well-known artists have released albums in protest against new legislation proposed by the UK government. Artists such as Damon Albarn, Annie Lennox, and Kate Bush have all released protest albums against legislation that they believe will make it easier for AI companies to train models using their copyrighted work.
The new legislation states that AI developers will be able to use any creator’s content found on the Internet to help develop and train their models. The only way that creators could stop their work from being used is by opting out.
All albums share the same name: Is This What We Want? Artists hope that it will draw attention to the music industry and other creative fields, highlighting the livelihoods that could be put at risk if this legislation is passed. All profits from the albums will be donated to the charity Help Musicians.
Kate Bush released her album with the statement, “In the music of the future, will our voices go unheard?”
Additionally, a spokesperson from the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology said that the current regime is actively disrupting creative industries. “[The] current regime for copyright and AI is holding back the creative industries,” they said, “Realising their full potential—and that cannot continue.”
Some of the other artists who have released the album include Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, Billy Ocean, The Clash, Mystery Jets, and Jamiroquai. The track list for the album states, “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.” All of the songs feature recordings of empty studios and rehearsal rooms, which eludes to what the future of music could sound like.
Whether these albums will have any impact on the legislation passed by the government and the impact that AI could have on creative industries remains to be seen. This is a developing story.
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