British music icon and legendary former Beatle, Paul McCartney, has taken an unusual approach to protest the use of musicians’ work by artificial intelligence companies with a nearly silent track. Clocking in at two minutes and 45 seconds, the recording replaces melody, lyrics, and guitar with faint tape hiss and occasional background clatters, symbolizing the creative void that could result if AI firms exploit copyrighted music without consent.
The track appears as a bonus on the upcoming LP “Is This What We Want?”, an album comprised almost entirely of silent recordings. Pressed on vinyl and set for release later this month, the album is part of a broader campaign urging the UK government to prevent tech companies from training AI models on artists’ work without approval or compensation.
The track listing spells out the protest message: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies”.
The 83-year-old who is currently touring North America, joins a growing roster of artists—including Sam Fender, Kate Bush, Hans Zimmer, and the Pet Shop Boys, speaking out against the potential misuse of creative content by AI companies such as OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and Elon Musk’s xAI.
Ed Newton-Rex, composer and campaigner behind the project, said, “I am concerned that the government is prioritizing the interests of US tech companies over British creatives”.
The track itself begins with 55 seconds of tape hiss, followed by 15 seconds of indistinct clattering, possibly footsteps or a door and concludes with 80 seconds of rustle-punctuated hiss, fading out slowly. McCartney’s artistic choice is a stark illustration of what could happen if musicians lose control over their intellectual property: original music silenced.
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