1,000 UK Artists Released a Completely Silent Album to Protest Proposed AI Laws

In late 2024, the British government proposed controversial changes to current copyright law. These changes would allow artificial intelligence companies to use real artists’ copyrighted work—including music, artwork, lyrics, and more—without prior licensing. This would indicate that AI companies could train their models freely on any copyrighted content unless the right holders “opt out” by explicitly blocking their work from being used.

This proposal sparked a bitter backlash from the creative community. In response, more than 1,000 artists released a completely silent album called “Is This What We Want?” According to Ed Newton-Rex, a British composer and former AI executive who spearheaded the project, the music-free album is meant to symbolize the potential impact on artists’ livelihoods if the changes are implemented.

“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. It is a plan that would not only be disastrous for musicians, but that is totally unnecessary: the UK can be leaders in AI without throwing our world-leading creative industries under the bus,” he said, criticizing the government’s approach.

“Is This What We Want?” features 12 silent tracks—recordings of empty studios and performance spaces— with titles forming a clear message: “The British Government Must Not Legalise Music Theft To Benefit AI Companies.” High-profile contributors include Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, Imogen Heap, Riz Ahmed, Bastille’s Dan Smith, Hans Zimmer, Jamiroquai, Billy Ocean, Tori Amos, and others. All profits from the album, which is available on streaming services such as Spotify, will be donated to the charity Help Musicians.

The British government has previously stated its intention to provide artists and creators with greater control and transparency. However, under the proposed changes, AI companies would have permission to use material available online for data mining, regardless of copyright.

As mentioned earlier, artists would be given a so-called “rights reservation,” enabling them to opt out. Nevertheless, the opt-out system has been dismissed by critics as unworkable and unfair, placing an undue burden on artists, who would need to monitor and block countless AI companies from using their work.

In her statement, Kate Bush said: “In the music of the future, will our voices go unheard?” As the debate continues, artists fear that if the proposal becomes law, it will not only threaten their livelihoods, but also stifle creative expression for future generations.