On February 25, 2025, a distinctive protest unfolded in the music industry as over 1,000 artists, including notable figures like Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, and Billy Ocean, unveiled their lyric-less album titled “Is This What We Want?” The release coincides with the British government’s controversial proposal aimed at altering copyright laws to broaden the ability of developers to utilize protected works for training artificial intelligence models.
While the album itself is devoid of traditional lyrics or melodies, it features ambient sounds recorded in empty studios. The artists intend for these clips to reflect the adverse effects they anticipate the government's schemes would pose on their livelihoods. The collection is punctuated by faint noises—footsteps, rustling, and other subtle sounds—which the artists emphasize as a commentary on the looming threat AI poses to their creations.
Kate Bush articulated her discontent, stating, “If these changes go ahead, the life's work of all the country’s musicians will be handed over to A.I. companies for free.” Under the proposed changes, artists would face an onerous choice: they must actively opt out to safeguard their works from being exploited in AI training datasets. Ed Newton-Rex, who spearheaded the album's release and leads the nonprofit organization Fairly Trained, expressed concerns that these regulations unfairly shift the burden of rights management onto the creators.
As the deadline for public feedback on these proposals approached, the artistry behind the silent album aimed to ignite a crucial dialogue regarding the intersection of creativity, copyright, and emerging technologies. Musicians across the UK remain hopeful that their unconventional approach will resonate widely and catalyze meaningful change before the proposed laws are enacted.
While the album itself is devoid of traditional lyrics or melodies, it features ambient sounds recorded in empty studios. The artists intend for these clips to reflect the adverse effects they anticipate the government's schemes would pose on their livelihoods. The collection is punctuated by faint noises—footsteps, rustling, and other subtle sounds—which the artists emphasize as a commentary on the looming threat AI poses to their creations.
Kate Bush articulated her discontent, stating, “If these changes go ahead, the life's work of all the country’s musicians will be handed over to A.I. companies for free.” Under the proposed changes, artists would face an onerous choice: they must actively opt out to safeguard their works from being exploited in AI training datasets. Ed Newton-Rex, who spearheaded the album's release and leads the nonprofit organization Fairly Trained, expressed concerns that these regulations unfairly shift the burden of rights management onto the creators.
As the deadline for public feedback on these proposals approached, the artistry behind the silent album aimed to ignite a crucial dialogue regarding the intersection of creativity, copyright, and emerging technologies. Musicians across the UK remain hopeful that their unconventional approach will resonate widely and catalyze meaningful change before the proposed laws are enacted.
