British Artists Release Silent Album in Protest Against UK's Stance on AI

 

Names such as Kate Bush, Damon Albarn, Annie Lennox and Hans Zimmer are among the stars who contributed to the composition of a “silent” album, created as a form of protest against the British government's position on the use of Artificial Intelligence.

Titled “Is This What We Want” it has the collaboration of more than a thousand artists. In the statement accompanying the album, it says that the use of silence represents “the impact on the livelihoods of artists and music professionals that is expected if the government does not change course.” The album is an organization of Ed Newton-Rex, founder of Fairly Trained, a non-profit organization that certifies generative AI companies that respect the rights of creators.

The tracklist for the 12-track LP reads: “The UK government must not legalize music theft to benefit AI companies.” The profits from sales will be donated to the Help Musicians institution.