Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and Elton John are among the artists who’ve signed an open letter published in The Times calling out plans to change U.K. copyright laws to benefit AI companies.
The letter contends that the planned changes “represent a wholesale giveaway of rights and income from the U.K. creative sectors to big tech.” As The Times notes, the changes would allow these companies to “use copyrighted works to train their AI software without permission unless the owner opts out.”
Other artists who’ve signed the letter include Sting, Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon, Paul McCartney and Kate Bush.
Along with the letter, a group of 1,000 musicians have released a silent album to Spotify, titled Is This What We Want?, in protest of the possible AI changes.
The album, credited to “1,000 U.K. artists,” features 12 tracks with recordings of sound from empty studios and venues. It represents what the artists believe could happen if the copyright changes go through. The titles of the 12 songs spell out a message that reads, “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.”
Artists lending their name to the album include Kate, Billy Ocean, Annie Lennox, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens and Pet Shop Boys. Kate wrote on her website, “If these changes go ahead, the life’s work of all the country’s musicians will be handed over to AI companies for free. None of us have a say in it.”
She continues, “Please help protect the music makers and our heartfelt work. We make it for you, not for it to be taken and used against us. In the music of the future, will our voices go unheard?”
Proceeds from the album will be donated to the charity Help Musicians.
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