Paul McCartney drops silent track to slam AI theft
What's the story
Music legend Paul McCartney has joined a host of other artists to protest against artificial intelligence (AI) copyright theft. The former Beatle has released a nearly silent track, which is part of an album called Is This What We Want?. The album features other silent recordings and will be released on vinyl later this month.
Artistic statement
The track features only quiet hiss and occasional clatter sounds
McCartney's silent track, which is a little over two minutes long, serves as a metaphor for the potential destruction of the creative ecosystem by AI companies. The track features only quiet hiss and occasional clatter sounds, suggesting that if AI companies continue to exploit musicians' intellectual property without permission or royalties, original music will be silenced.
Government pressure
McCartney's contribution is part of a larger campaign
McCartney's contribution to the silent track comes as musicians and artists are ramping up their campaign to persuade the United Kingdom government to stop technology companies from training AI models on their creative output without permission or royalties. The album's track listing spells out, "the British government must not legalize music theft to benefit AI companies," reported The Guardian.
Wider support
Other artists and government response to the protest
Other artists supporting this campaign include Sam Fender, Kate Bush, Hans Zimmer, and the Pet Shop Boys. This comes as the government is set to negotiate a new deal between artists and AI companies like Open AI, Google, and Elon Musk's xAI, which demand access to large volumes of training information, including text, pictures, and music. In response to McCartney's intervention, a government spokesperson said they are committed to balancing AI innovation with robust protections for creators.