Over 1,000 Musicians Release Silent Album to Protest AI Copyright Reforms

More than 1,000 musicians, including Kate Bush, Tori Amos, and Annie Lennox of Eurythmics, have launched a silent album to oppose proposed changes to the UK’s copyright laws that could allow artificial intelligence (AI) companies to use artists’ work without their permission.

Titled Is This What We Want?, the album consists of recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, symbolizing what artists fear could be the future of music if their work is freely exploited to train AI models.

The UK government has suggested allowing AI companies to train their systems on any content they can legally access, with an opt-out mechanism for creators. Critics argue this approach is unfair and unworkable, putting artists at risk of having their work used without consent.

British composer and former AI executive Ed Newton-Rex, who led the album’s release, condemned the proposal. “This plan would give AI companies free access to musicians’ life’s work, allowing them to create music that competes with its original creators,” he said. “The UK can lead in AI innovation without sacrificing its world-renowned creative industries.”

Each of the album’s 12 silent tracks is uncredited, but over 1,000 artists are listed as co-writers, with speculation that Kate Bush recorded one of the tracks in her studio. Bush, whose song Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) gained renewed popularity after featuring in Stranger Things, questioned the future of music, asking, “In the music of the future, will our voices go unheard?”

Other artists involved include Billy Ocean, members of The Clash, Blur’s Damon Albarn, and Ed Sheeran. The album’s track titles spell out a clear message: The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.

Available on Spotify, proceeds from the album will be donated to Help Musicians, a UK charity supporting artists.

In response, a government spokesperson defended the proposed reforms, stating that current copyright laws were restricting the full potential of creative industries, media, and AI. “We have engaged extensively with these sectors and will continue to do so. No decisions have been taken,” they said.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has prioritized AI development, launching an AI Opportunities Action Plan that includes AI Growth Zones, a National Data Library, and a significant expansion in supercomputing power by 2030. The plan also aims to integrate AI into public services for greater efficiency.

As the government’s consultation on the changes closes, protests continue across the UK. Several major newspapers have featured the slogan Make It Fair on their front pages, while a letter in The Times, signed by 34 prominent creatives – including film producer Barbara Broccoli, author Helen Fielding, actor Stephen Fry, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, and musician Ed Sheeran – strongly opposes the proposed changes.