Key Takeaways
- A thousand plus artists have released “Is This what We Want?” as a silent protest against the proposed changes to the AI law by the UK government.
- According to the proposed changes, AI companies can use copyrighted songs for training their models as long as the copyright owner does not opt out.
- This proposal is still being reviewed. A final decision has not been made.
The music industry is witnessing another mass protest as artists from different walks have once again united in their fight against AI.
On Tuesday, more than 1000 artists, including Damon Albarn, Annie Lennox, and Kate Bush, The silent album was released in protest against the UK government’s proposed change that would make it easier to train AI tools on copyrighted works. The album, titled “is This What We Want?” was created in the hope of bringing attention to the impact AI will have on these artists’ livelihoods. It is a recording of empty studios with an untouched piano, and a simple message at the top: “British government should not legalize music piracy to benefit AI companies.”All profits from the album will be donated by Help Musicians to a charity.
What is the proposed change?
According to the new law, AI companies can use copyrighted songs to train their bots even without a license .
Many artists have stated that the “opt out” solution is not practical. It may seem that the artists have the option to refuse to allow AI companies to use their music in training, but it is not possible for a single musician or their team to contact hundreds of AI firms and tell them to stop.
If a company uses the music despite their opting out, it’s impossible to trackthem down.
What is the government’s opinion on this?
The government has not yet made a decision on this issue. A spokesman for Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said on Tuesday that the current laws for AI and copyright are preventing both industries (music and AI) from reaching their full potential. These changes were made because this cannot continue. They also assuredthat no changes had been made
. The government consults experts from both industries.Only if they are satisfied that this new initiative is going to meet their goals and not hurt any of the stakeholders, will they put the plan into motion. All these explanations do not seem to affect the raging protestors. Ed Newton-Rex is one of the organizers who called this a “disaster move” which was totally uncalled-for. The UK could not have advanced in the AI race at the expense of musicians. Singer-songwriter Naomi Kimpenu added that if this initiative is implemented, it will benearly impossible for new talent tomake it in the industry. And those already here will struggle to make ends meet.
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Vlad is Techreport’s in-house Executive Editor. With over a decade of experience in tech content, he’s passionate about computer hardware, an advocate of online privacy, and strongly believes in the open-source, scarce-money nature of cryptocurrency. Read more
When he’s not working, he’s traveling with his partner and their cat, learning Python, or reading good books. He never owned a PC he did not build. Read less
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