Over 1k musicians in the UK have collaborated to release a silent album titled This What We Want - here's why

More than a thousand British musicians, from legends like Kate Bush and Damon Albarn to emerging artists, have dropped an album of pure silence. Titled This What We Want?, the project is a stark protest against proposed UK copyright law changes that could let AI companies use songs, lyrics, and recordings to train artificial intelligence without permission. Instead of music, the album features hollow echoes of empty studios, a metaphor for what creators fear AI might leave behind: a void where human artistry once thrived.

So, what’s the problem? The government wants to make it easier for AI companies to train their technology using music, books, and other creative works. Under the proposed rules, creators would have to tell these companies they don’t want their stuff used, a process called opting out. Musicians and other artists say this is a big hassle. Imagine trying to contact tons of AI companies one by one. They worry this could hurt their ability to earn a living, especially for those just starting out.

The album has 12 tracks with each title being a part of a message that reads: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.”

This fight isn’t unique to music. Writers, filmmakers, and visual artists worldwide are pushing back against AI’s unchecked use of their work. In 2023, nearly 8,000 authors, including Jodi Picoult and Margaret Atwood, signed an open letter demanding AI companies seek permission and pay creators for using their books. Last year, many artists also left Instagram and signed up on Cara, an anti-AI platform in protest.

Hollywood’s 2023 writers’ strike hinged partly on fears that studios might replace human writers with AI scripts. Visual artists flooded platforms like ArtStation with “No AI Art” images in 2022, and just days ago, over 6,000 painters and illustrators protested Christie’s auction house for selling AI-generated art trained on their styles without credit.

Legal battles are mounting too. Artists like Karla Ortiz have sued AI firms for allegedly scraping their portfolios, while Getty Images took Stability AI to court for using millions of photos without licenses. These clashes highlight a global question: Should tech companies profit from creative work without compensating its makers?

The UK music industry pumps billions of pounds into the economy. Many fear these rules could put that at risk. The government says it’s trying to help both creators and the growing AI industry, but some people think the plan leans too much toward tech companies. Kate Bush summed it up with a question that’s hard to ignore: “In the music of the future, will our voices go unheard?” This protest shows how strongly artists feel about keeping control of their creations in an AI-driven world.