Karsten Wenzlaff, Advisor
August 26th, 2025
Karsten Wenzlaff is a Crowdfunding and Fintech Expert from Germany. He is Secretary-General of Digit[...]
1,000 Artists Protest AI Copyright Plans with Silent Album
AI | Feb 25, 2025
Image: Is This What We Want? (1000 UK Artists, Cover)
UK Musicians Release Silent Album to Protest AI Copyright Plans
More than 1,000 British musicians including Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Cat Stevens, and Damon Albarn, have released Is This What We Want?, a silent album designed to protest the UK government’s proposed changes to artificial intelligence (AI) copyright laws that would allow AI companies to train their models on copyrighted material unless creators explicitly opt out.
The album is made up of recordings of silent studios and empty performance spaces, acting as a warning of what could happen if AI companies are allowed to use artists' work without limits.
Ed Newton-Rex, Composer and AI developer who organized the project:
“Almost silence to symbolize what we expect will happen if the government’s proposals go through.”
“The government’s proposal would hand the life’s work of the country’s musicians to AI companies, for free, letting those companies exploit musicians’ work to outcompete them. It is a plan that would not only be disastrous for musicians, but that is totally unnecessary. The U.K. can be leaders in AI without throwing our world-leading creative industries under the bus.”
A Fight Over Creative Control
In December 2024, the UK government proposed changing copyright laws so that AI companies can use content found online to train their systems without asking permission from the original creators. Under the proposed "opt-out" rule artists would have to take action to stop their work from being used, instead of requiring approval first.
While the UK government claims that the changes are aimed at boosting AI innovation while balancing artists' rights, critics of the plan including the likes of Elton John, Paul McCartney, and Annie Lennox say that it's like 'legalized theft' of their work.
People against this plan say it’s unfair because it undermines the UK's creative industries which contributed £7.6 billion to the economy in 2023:
See: The Necessity of Copyrighting Your Voice in 2024
- Artists have no easy way to see or control how AI is using their work
- Stopping AI from using their content is complicated for anyone, especially for independent creators
- AI companies could make money from copyrighted material without paying any royalties, hurting musicians, writers, and other artists financially
AI content generation is of course a major legal and ethical issue globally. In the U.S. artists and media organizations have launched lawsuits against AI firms for using copyrighted material without permission.
What Happens Next?
The UK government insists that they are trying to strike the balance between AI development and protecting creative rights. A spokesperson from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said, "No decisions have been taken," and that "no moves will be made until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers each of our objectives."
See: The Frontline of AI’s Copyright Law Battle in 2024
Proceeds from Is This What We Want? will go to Help Musicians, a charity supporting UK artists. But the questions remains, will policymakers listen before the silence becomes real?
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This protest highlights artists’ growing concerns over AI and copyright. It’s a powerful, creative statement about protecting original work in the digital age.