Artists publish silent album to protest AI copyright proposals

Over 1,000 musicians have released a silent album to protest the government’s proposed changes to copyright law.

Under the proposals, AI developers will be able to use creators’ content to help train their models unless rights holders opt out of allowing it.

The artists involved in the silent album, which include Damon Albarn, Kate Bush and Annie Lennox, hope the project, entitled Is This What We Want?, will draw attention to the potential impact of the legislation.

The album features recordings from empty studios and performance spaces, with its track listing titled: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies”.

Proceeds from the album are being donated to the Help Musicians charity.

Organiser of the silent record, Ed Newton-Rex, told the BBC the proposals were not only “disastrous for musicians” in the UK but also “totally unnecessary”.

He added that the new record showed that “however the government tries to justify it, musicians themselves are united in their thorough condemnation of this ill-thought-through plan”.

A spokesperson for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology released a statement saying the UK’s “current regime for copyright and AI is holding back the creative industries, media and AI sector from realising their full potential – and that cannot continue”.

“That’s why we have been consulting on a new approach that protects the interests of both AI developers and right holders and delivers a solution which allows both to thrive,” the spokesperson added.

A ten-week, public consultation on the government’s proposals closes today.