Opinion: Music without musicians? Art under threat from AI

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Photo: Michael Nigro/Pacific Press

In recent months, the music industry has been witnessing an unprecedented movement: some of the greatest living artists are resorting to silence as a form of protest. Paul McCartney, at 83, announced the release of an almost inaudible track, only studio noises and emptiness, to symbolize something that may soon cease to be a metaphor and become reality: the creative death of an entire generation of composers if the advance of artificial intelligence continues to exploit musical works without consent.

This artistic intervention does not emerge in isolation. Kate Bush, Hans Zimmer, Sam Fender, Pet Shop Boys, Max Richter, and Elton John, names that shaped the identity of British and global music, are publicly pressuring the UK government to curb the big techs’ appetite for data and others’ works.

Today, AI can compose entire songs in seconds, imitate the voices of famous artists, replicate styles, and produce entire bands, as in the case of Velvet Sundown, a fictional group that amassed more than one million streams before admitting there were no musicians behind it, only algorithms. What is at stake is not only aesthetics or authenticity. It is the economic survival of young composers who live off royalties, and a large portion of revenue comes from these secondary and authorial uses, precisely the kind of data companies intend to use without compensation.

When AI uses this material to compete with original work and, worse, without clear identification, it creates an environment in which human music loses value and visibility. Not for lack of talent, but due to a logic of production scale. That is why Elton John was so explicit in calling the UK government’s proposal to allow the unlicensed use of copyrighted works “criminal.”

The State, by allowing unrestricted exploitation of protected works, begins to favor those who automate creativity to the detriment of those who produce it.

Platforms like Spotify now face a structural conflict. While they face criticism for the growing presence of AI-generated music, often without labeling, they also maintain close relations with major technology companies. The result is an ecosystem where artists do not know when their work was used to train models, listeners do not know what is human or artificial, platforms gain efficiency while creators lose compensation. More seriously, part of this content has been used in fraudulent streaming operations, inflating numbers and draining revenue that should go to legitimate creators. Not by chance, organizations such as the Ivors Academy, the BPI, and independent artists demand mandatory labeling of AI generated music. Basic transparency, the minimum for consumers to choose and for musicians to defend their rights.

Both the United Kingdom and the United States face pressure from tech giants, who argue that unrestricted access to protected content is essential for the advancement of AI. The deadlock lies not only in legislation but also in legitimacy. A government that tries to please both big techs and artists ends up delivering trust to neither side.

Music is not just a product. It is identity, memory, human expression. It is what Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, or Elton John create because no one else can create it the same way. If we allow AI to be trained on this heritage without limits, without consent, and without compensation, we risk reducing human creativity to background noise, as in McCartney’s silent protest.

The answer depends on the choices that governments, platforms, and consumers make now. Music has always been a dialogue between generations, and technology can strengthen it,as long as it does not silence musicians in the process.

References

BAKARE, Lanre. An AI-generated band got 1m plays on Spotify. Now music insiders say listeners should be warned. The Guardian. Disponível em: <https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/14/an-ai-generated-band-got-1m-plays-on-spotify-now-music-insiders-say-listeners-should-be-warned>.

BOOTH, Robert. Paul McCartney joins music industry protest against AI with silent track. the Guardian. Disponível em: <https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/nov/17/the-sound-of-silence-why-theres-barely-anything-there-in-paul-mccartney-new-release>.

MCCARTNEY, Paul. Paul McCartney | News | Paul joins music industry protest against AI with silent song release. Paulmccartney.com. Disponível em: <https://www.paulmccartney.com/news/paul-joins-music-industry-protest-against-ai-with-silent-song-release>.

MILMO, Dan. Elton John calls UK government “absolute losers” over AI copyright plans. The Guardian. Disponível em: <https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/may/18/elton-john-says-uk-government-being-absolute-losers-over-ai-copyright-plans>.

YOUNG, Alex. Spotify Unwrapped Campaign Calls for Boycott in Protest of ICE Ads, AI Music on Platform. Consequence. Disponível em: <https://consequence.net/2025/12/spotify-unwrapped-boycott-ice-ai/>.