Musicians Release Silent Album to Protest UK Copyright Changes Favoring AI

The UK government is pushing forward with plans to attract more artificial intelligence companies to the region by altering copyright laws. The proposed modifications would allow developers to train AI models using content from artists found online without requiring permission or payment, unless the creators explicitly object. However, there is significant opposition to these changes.

On Monday, a group of 1,000 musicians released a «silent album» in protest against the planned revisions. Titled «Is This What We Want?», the album features tracks from artists including Kate Bush, Imogen Heap, contemporary composers Max Richter and Thomas Hewitt Jones, and many more. It also credits hundreds of other musicians, with notable names like Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, Billy Ocean, The Clash, Mystery Jets, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Riz Ahmed, Tori Amos, and Hans Zimmer.

This isn’t a sequel to «Band Aid,» nor is it a music compilation. Instead, the artists compiled recordings from empty studios and concert halls as a symbolic representation of what they fear the consequences of the proposed copyright changes will be.

«My cats are moving in the background,» remarked Hewitt Jones when describing his contribution to the album. «I have two cats in the studio that distract me all day long.»

More directly, the titles of the 12 tracks in the album convey a message: «The UK government should not legalize music theft for the sake of AI companies.»

This album is the latest step in the UK’s efforts to highlight concerns over copyright usage in AI training. Similar protests are emerging in various locations, including the US, underscoring a global anxiety among artists.

Ed Newton-Rex, who initiated this project, is also leading a broader campaign against unlicensed AI training. A petition he started has garnered over 47,000 signatures from writers, artists, actors, and other creative professionals, with nearly 10,000 signing in just the last five weeks since the UK government unveiled its ambitious AI strategy.

Newton-Rex became a vocal advocate for artists after experiencing both sides of the industry. With a background in classical composition, he later developed an AI-powered music creation platform called Jukedeck, which enabled users to create their own music without infringing copyright. His engaging presentations, which included rapping about the benefits of AI in music, won the TechCrunch Battlefield startup competition in 2015. Eventually, Jukedeck was acquired by TikTok, where he contributed to music services for a period.

After spending several years in other tech companies like Snap and Stability, Newton-Rex returned to contemplating how to build a future without undermining the past.

The album’s release coincides with impending copyright legislative changes in the UK, which will require artists who do not want their work used for AI training to proactively «opt-out» in advance.

Newton-Rex argues that this effectively traps artists, as there’s no feasible way to opt out of AI use or any clear method to track what material has been fed into AI systems.

«We know that opt-out schemes simply don’t work,» he stated. «It will essentially hand 90% or 95% of artists’ work over to AI companies. There’s no doubt about it.»

Artists suggest the solution lies in producing work in markets where they can receive better protections. Hewitt Jones, who recently threw a functioning keyboard into a harbor in Kent during a personal protest (which he later retrieved, albeit broken), mentioned he is considering markets like Switzerland for distributing his music in the future.

However, the rocky shores of Kent pale in comparison to the lawless expanse of the internet.

«For decades, we’ve been told to share our work online because it helps with promotion. But now, AI companies and, incredibly, governments are turning around and saying, ‘Well, you put this online for free…’” expressed Newton-Rex. «So now artists are starting to refrain from creating and sharing their work. Several have reached out to me to say they are doing just that.»

According to the organizers, the album will be widely available on music platforms on Tuesday, and any donations or revenue generated from streaming will go to the charity Help Musicians.

[Source](https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/24/1000-artists-release-silent-album-to-protest-uk-copyright-sell-out-to-ai/)