Twelve tracks of silence and ambient sound in recording studios and empty action spaces. Those are the issues that make up the Disco “Is This What We Want?” and that constitutes the way in which more than a thousand British artists and musicians have chosen to protest against the changes proposed by the United Kingdom government to copyright law.
“At the end of 2024, the government proposed to change the law to allow companies to artificial intelligence Build their products using the protected work of other people (music, works of art, text and more) without a license”, They explain on the website created for the project. They ensure that the album represents the impact they expect to have government proposals on the livelihoods of musicians and explain that all album profits will be donated to the beneficial organization Help Musicians.
The initiative is supported by a long list of artists and musicians, among which the names of singers and groups such as Kate Bush, Imogen Heap or contemporary classic composers can find Max Richter and Thomas Hewitt Jones. They are also involved Annie Lennox, The Clash, Mystery Jets, Tori Amos or Hans Zimmer.
The titles of the twelve tracks make up the phrase “The British Governor Non -Legalise Music Theft to Benefit Ai Companies” (the British Government should not legalize musical theft to benefit artificial intelligence companies).
Ed Newton -Rex, composer and founder of the Fairly Trained Organization -which certifies AI companies for respectful practices in models training, has been the promoter of the project. “The government’s proposal would deliver the work of a lifetime of musicians to AI companies for free, allowing these companies to exploit their work to overcome them in competition”, He said, according to The Guardian. “It is a plan that would not only be disastrous for musicians, but is totally unnecessary: United Kingdom can be a leader in artificial intelligence without throwing our leading creative industries in the world in the world”
The album, available on Spotify, is launched today coinciding with the closure of a government consultation on the changes to the copyright law, the British government seeks with the modifications to attract more Artificial Intelligence Companies to the region, favoring the possibility of training artificial intelligence models with artists without permits or payments.
However, creators have the option of resorting to a voluntary exclusion. But it is an option criticized for being not very practical and executable, as well as the fact that the regulation update does not include a clear way of being able to track what specific material has been introduced into an AI system.
The launch of this album is aligned with other protests that have happened over the last weeks. Among them, the Campaign “Make It Fair”which involves the media and agents of creative industries; or the published letter in The Times Signed by 34 creatives, including Barbara Broccoli, Helen Fielding, Stephen Fry, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ed Sheeran or Tom Stoppard. The text warns that legislative changes represent a generalized concession of rights and income from the creative sectors of the United Kingdom to large technological ones.
The truth is that the modifications to the copyright law could have a significant economic impact, since if we move on and come true, many artists have already pointed out the possibility of produce your music in other markets With stricter regulations on artificial intelligence, such as Switzerland.
More info.: Is this what we want?
