The UK government is pushing forward with its ambitious plans to utilize and develop AI across the country, but not all parties are in agreement. On Monday, a group of 1,000 musicians released a “silent album” in protest of the proposed changes to copyright law, which they claim will enable AI to be trained on copyrighted material without obtaining the necessary licenses or making payments.

The album, titled “Is This What We Want?”, features contributions from renowned artists such as Kate Bush, Max Richter, Thomas Hewitt Jones, and Imogen Heap, among others, with co-writing credits from hundreds more, including prominent names like Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Hans Zimmer.

However, this is not a traditional album, and it’s not a collection of music. Instead, the artists have created recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, symbolizing the potential impact of the proposed copyright law changes.

As Hewitt Jones described his contribution, “You can hear my cats moving around,” giving a glimpse into the unconventional nature of the album.

The titles of the 12 tracks spell out a clear message: “The British government must not legalize music theft to benefit AI companies,” further emphasizing the artists’ concerns.

This album is the latest move in the UK’s ongoing debate about how copyright is being handled in AI training, with similar protests underway in other markets like the US.

Ed Newton-Rex, the organizer of the project, has been leading a campaign against AI training without licensing and has gained significant support from artists who are concerned about the growing presence of AI. A petition he started has been signed by over 47,000 writers, visual artists, actors, and others in the creative industries.

Newton-Rex has a unique perspective on the issue, having been classically trained as a composer and later building an AI-based music composition platform called Jukedeck, which was eventually acquired by TikTok.

After working at several tech companies, Newton-Rex is now considering how to build the future without compromising the past, and he’s doing so from an interesting vantage point, living in the Bay Area.

The album’s release comes ahead of planned changes to copyright law in the UK, which propose allowing AI models to use artists’ work without permission or payment, with artists having to proactively “opt out” if they do not want their work included.

However, Newton-Rex believes this creates a lose-lose situation for artists, as there is no effective opt-out method in place, and it’s unclear how to track what material has been fed into AI systems.

As a result, some artists are considering producing work in other markets with better protections, such as Switzerland, to safeguard their creations.

The situation highlights the challenges artists face in the digital age, where they’re encouraged to share their work online but then find it being used without permission or compensation. Newton-Rex noted that some artists have already stopped sharing their work due to these concerns.

The album will be available on music platforms, and any proceeds or donations will go to the charity Help Musicians.