The UK government is charging ahead with a plan to let AI feast on copyrighted work—without paying for it. Nearly 1,000 artists aren’t having it. Their response? A silent album that speaks volumes.
The album, *Is This What We Want?*, is a protest against proposed copyright changes that would make it easier for AI companies to scrape and use music without permission. This isn’t some charity single. It’s 12 blank tracks, featuring ambient noise from empty studios and performance spaces.
Big names are on board. Kate Bush, Hans Zimmer, Damon Albarn, Annie Lennox, and even The Clash are co-writers on this unconventional release. Composer Thomas Hewitt Jones, one of the contributors, summed it up: “You can hear my cats moving around.”
If that sounds like a joke, the message isn’t. The track titles spell out a blunt warning: *The British government must not legalize music theft to benefit AI companies.* No metaphors. No sugarcoating. Just a direct callout to lawmakers making it easier for tech giants to sidestep paying artists.
This protest isn’t happening in a vacuum. Similar fights are brewing in the U.S. and beyond as AI creeps further into creative industries. Ed Newton-Rex, the man behind this silent rebellion, has been leading the charge against AI scraping copyrighted work without permission.
He’s not some bitter industry outsider. Newton-Rex is both a classically trained composer and a former AI insider. He’s played for both teams and knows exactly how this game works. His petition against AI’s unchecked use of creative works has racked up over 47,000 signatures—10,000 of them in just the last five weeks since the UK unveiled its AI strategy.
Newton-Rex also runs a nonprofit that certifies companies that refuse to steal creative work for AI training. He’s proving that AI can be developed ethically—without gutting the music industry for spare parts.
This battle isn’t just about music. It’s about setting the rules for what AI can and can’t take. If governments keep bending over for big tech, don’t be surprised when the next “innovation” is built on stolen art, music, and writing. Artists are making noise—ironically, by staying silent. The question is whether lawmakers will listen.
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Five Fast Facts
- Kate Bush wrote *Wuthering Heights* when she was just 18, inspired by the novel of the same name.
- Hans Zimmer started his career playing keyboards for the band The Buggles, famous for *Video Killed the Radio Star*.
- Damon Albarn, best known for Blur and Gorillaz, once turned down a chance to collaborate with David Bowie.
- Annie Lennox was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for her charity work in human rights and HIV/AIDS activism.
- The Clash’s *London Calling* album cover was inspired by an iconic photo of Elvis Presley’s first album.
