On Tuesday, 1,000 British artists, including Damon Albarn, Kate Bush, and Annie Lennox, released a silent album in protest against the UK government’s proposed copyright policies, which could favor AI companies over human musicians.
Now, Queen guitarist Brian May has voiced his concern, warning that AI companies may have already taken creative works without permission. Speaking to the Daily Mail, May criticized the growing power of AI and social media billionaires:
“My fear is that it’s already too late. This theft has already happened. It’s unstoppable, just like the many intrusions these monstrously arrogant billionaires are making into our lives.”
May praised the silent album campaign, which aims to raise public awareness about the risks of AI-driven content generation:
“I applaud this campaign for making people aware of what we stand to lose. I hope we can stop this, because otherwise, no one will be able to afford to make music anymore.”
Despite his support for the protest, May expressed a sense of resignation:
“The future has already changed forever.”
As AI technology advances, the battle between musicians and tech companies over intellectual property rights continues to escalate.