Paul McCartney will release a silent music track next month as part of a high-profile protest against the United Kingdom’s move to weaken copyright protections in favor of artificial intelligence development. The former Beatles legend joins music icons Hans Zimmer and Kate Bush in contributing to Is This What We Want?—a protest album aimed at drawing attention to the risks posed by government policies favoring tech giants.
The track, titled Bonus Track, is a 2-minute, 45-second recording of an empty studio filled with ambient clicks—symbolizing what artists fear will be the future of music under unchecked AI expansion. The album, first released in February with support from over 1,000 artists including Annie Lennox and Jamiroquai, is now being reissued as concerns grow over changes to the UK’s copyright laws.
At the heart of the controversy is a proposal that would allow AI companies to train their models on copyrighted content without artists’ permission or compensation. Under the new rules, musicians and creators would be forced to “opt out” rather than “opt in,” effectively allowing corporations to use their work by default—reversing foundational copyright protections.
Artists have slammed the plan as a direct threat to creative livelihoods, warning that it paves the way for global tech firms to exploit intellectual property with no consequences. Just 1,000 vinyl copies of the protest album have been pressed, making the release both a symbolic gesture and a collector’s item.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, however, defended the changes, calling generative AI a “huge opportunity” that must be properly balanced with artists’ rights. Musicians like Elton John and Bush disagree, arguing that tech firms are being handed a license to steal.
From a conservative perspective, the protest highlights a broader issue: the growing alliance between big government and big tech that undermines private property rights and the rule of law. Copyright protections exist to reward creativity, innovation, and individual ownership. Removing these safeguards in favor of unelected tech elites raises serious moral and legal concerns about the future of both the arts and free enterprise.
