Over 1,000 artists and musicians, including Kate Bush, Damon Albarn, Sam Fender, and Annie Lennox, have come together to record a silent album titled “Is This What We Want?” in protest against proposed changes to copyright law that they believe could result in artists being replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). The album also features contributions from Billy Ocean, Tom Grennan, New Order, Simon Le Bon, Tori Amos, Pet Shop Boys, The Clash, Bashy, Jamiroquai, and Imogen Heap, along with various composers, conductors, and organizations such as Hans Zimmer and the Royal Albert Hall.
The album consists of recordings from empty studios and performance spaces, which the artists argue could become a reality for musicians in the UK if the proposed changes are implemented. The track listing conveys a clear message: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.” Under the government’s proposal, an exemption to copyright would be established for training AI, allowing tech firms to use copyrighted material without a license, while creators would have to opt out to protect their work.
Sir Elton John and Simon Cowell have also expressed their support for the campaign against these proposals, and Sir Paul McCartney has voiced his opposition as well. Critics argue that the new plans do not compensate artists for AI recreating and copying their work, hinder creativity, and impose an unnecessary burden on artists through the proposed opt-out scheme.
All proceeds from the silent album will be donated to the charity Help Musicians. Campaigner Ed Newton-Rex, who organized the album, stated, “The government’s proposal would hand the life’s work of the country’s musicians to AI companies for free, allowing those companies to exploit musicians’ work to outcompete them. This plan would be disastrous for musicians and is entirely unnecessary. The UK can lead in AI without sacrificing our world-class creative industries.”
The creative sectors have raised concerns about the potential misuse of powerful AI models like ChatGPT to generate content that mimics existing works. Fears regarding their application in film and TV, including scriptwriting and replacing actors, were significant factors in the Hollywood strikes of 2023.
