1K musicians including Kate Bush release silent album to protest plans to let AI use their work

LONDON — A new album called “Is This What We Want?” features a stellar list of more than 1,000 musicians — and the sound of silence.With contributions from British artists including Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Cat Stevens and Damon Albarn, the album was released Tuesday to protest proposed British changes to artificial intelligence laws that artists fear will erode their creative control.The UK government is consulting on whether to let tech firms use copyrighted material to help train AI models unless the creators explicitly opt out.Critics of the idea fear that will make it harder for artists to retain control of their work and will undermine Britain’s creative industries.Elton John and Paul McCartney are among those who have spoken out against the plan.The protest album features “almost silence,” said composer and AI developer Ed Newton-Rex, who organized the album.The 12 tracks consist of recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, “to symbolize what we expect will happen if the government’s proposals go through.”“It’s a mix of artists that everyone’s heard of and, you know, and many musicians who are not household names,” he told The Associated Press.“And I think that’s really important because this issue is going to affect all of us.”The titles of the 12 tracks spell out: “The British government must not legalize music theft to benefit AI companies.”Profits will be donated to the musicians’ charity Help Musicians.“The government’s proposal would hand the life’s work of the country’s musicians to AI companies, for free, letting those companies exploit musicians’ work to outcompete them,” Newton-Rex said.“It is a plan that would not only be disastrous for musicians, but that is totally unnecessary,” he said.

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