Massive Attack have removed their catalogue from Spotify in protest at founder Daniel Ek’s €600m (£520m) investment in the military AI company Helsing. The band cited a “moral and ethical burden” placed on artists by revenue from their work funding lethal technologies.
Helsing develops AI software to analyse battlefield data and produces military drones, including the HX-2. Ek, who is also chairman of Helsing, led the firm’s latest funding round through his venture capital firm Prima Materia.
The band’s announcement coincided with their participation in the No Music for Genocide initiative, in which over 400 artists and labels are blocking their music from streaming services in Israel. Massive Attack stressed that their Spotify removal was a separate action, criticizing the ethical implications of Ek’s investment.
A Spotify spokesperson said the company and Helsing are separate entities and that Helsing’s technology is “focused on Europe defending itself in Ukraine.” Helsing also confirmed its technology is deployed only for deterrence and defense in European countries.
Massive Attack join other artists, including King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Deerhoof, in pulling music from Spotify over Helsing-related concerns. The band emphasized their action as part of a broader call for artists to take a stand against funding and complicity in technologies used for lethal purposes.
