Over a thousand musicians, including Blur frontman Damon Albarn, Annie Lennox, and Kate Bush, have released a joint album without sound. As reported by the BBC, this is their protest against the British government’s plans to allow artificial intelligence developers to use copyrighted works.
The album is called “Is this what we want?” It contains 12 tracks that last 47 minutes in total. These are recordings of either complete silence or noise from concert halls and music studios. This is what the musicians believe the amendments to the copyright law will lead to.
The musicians’ protest was prompted by a bill discussed by the UK government. If approved, artificial intelligence companies can use artistic works, including music, that are available online without complying with copyright. Copyright holders will be able to prohibit this use.
Critics of the bill say that writers, artists, or musicians will not be able to notify thousands of different AI companies that they do not want their work used in this way. They will also not be able to track online what happens to their work and how it is being used.
The British Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology supports the bill because the legislation “does not allow AI to realize its full potential — and this cannot continue.” At the same time, a department representative noted that consultations and discussions on the draft law are underway, so the decision should satisfy both parties.