1,000 musicians publish a silent album

A group of musicians hopes that the sound of their collective silence speaks volumes in Great Britain

More than 1,000 artists – including Kate Bush, Inogen Heap, Annie Lennox, Cat Stevens and Hans Zimmer – published a still album entitled “Is that we want?” On Tuesday in response to the proposed changes to the British government on copyright.

They argue that changes in the end of last year “artificial intelligence companies build their products with the help of the copyright -protected work of other people – music, works of art, text and more” without license with the help of the album with the help of the copyright work of other people. “The musicians on this album came together to protest them.”

A judgment is awarded in the title list of the album: “The British government must not legalize music theft to go to AI companies.”

“It is an album of recordings by empty studios & performance spaces that represent the effect of the government's plans on the livelihood of the musicians,” wrote Ed Newton-Rex, a composer who was one of those who organized the album in one Post on X.

The album is the latest action of creative concerns about growing concerns that AI could intervene in its works. While it focuses on British law, the concerns about the effects of AI were widespread on the livelihood of the artists.

Laws that regulate AI are sparse, and because generative AI, the media from songs can be created to pictures, is so accessible, many creative and legal questions about Tech companies have raised the training of their programs as artists.

The publication of the album came on the final day of the public consultation of the British government to change the copyright laws. In December, the left-wing Labor Party announced that with the intention of becoming a worldwide leading provider in AI technology, it begins to advise AI and the shift in copyright.

As currently proposed, the law would enable artists to choose AI.

On Tuesday, newspapers in Great Britain led identical messages entitled “Make It Fair”, which called for the protection of the creative industry from AI. Some shared the side of the British newspaper covers on X.

In an explanation of The Associated Press, the British government said that it was “a new approach that protects the interests of both the AI ​​developer and the right holder and provides a solution that enables both to thrive.” It added that “no decisions were made”.

Before the album was published, there were efforts to combat the changes in the law, including a group called the creative rights in AI Coalition. The group says that companies should first obtain permission to train AI for artist works. This would take responsibility for the option of artists who have to unsubscribe to the companies who want to use AI.

“Protection of copyright and the structure of a dynamic market for the use of creative content in the development of generative KI (GAI) is not just a question of fairness. This is the only way with which both sectors flourish and grow”.

In a letter to the Times, which were published on Tuesday, 34 artists, including the “Protective Britain's creative copyright against AI” presented on the album, demanded.

The new proposal is “completely unnecessary and counterproductive” and not only endangers the international position of Great Britain as “a beacon of creativity, but also the resulting jobs, economic contribution and soft power – and in particular the damage according to new and young artists that the Represented the future of our country, “the artists wrote.

The signatories include Bush, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Elton John and Sting.

Bush, known for hits like “Running Up the Hill”, shared a music video for the album on your website. The 1-minute and 25-second video contains film material from empty recording studios with the names of the tracks of the album in a bold white font over the video.

“Great Britain is full of groundbreaking, highly creative and imaginative artists.” Bush wrote on her website. . Don't say that? “

She added that she was “very happy to have contributed to this project and to join the protest”, and asked for the support of the public in protection “The music manufacturers and our warm work. “

“In the music of the future, our voices become unheard of?”