Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, REM and Jodi Picoult are among hundreds of Hollywood stars, musicians and writers who are supporting a new campaign accusing AI companies of “stealing” their work.
The “Stealing Is Not Innovation” campaign was launched on Thursday with the support of nearly 800 creative professionals and bands. The campaign includes a statement accusing tech companies of using the work of American creators to “build AI platforms without authorization or regard for copyright law.”
It states: “Artists, writers, and creators of all kinds are uniting with one simple message: Stealing our work is not innovation. It’s not progress. It’s theft – plain and simple.”
The statement urged AI companies to enter into licensing deals and partnerships with creative industries and acknowledged those companies that have taken this path. ChatGPT’s developer OpenAI has signed deals with content owners including Disney and Guardian, while Warner Music Group has struck a licensing deal with AI music generator Suno.
However, copyright remains one of the most controversial issues within AI, as the models that power chatbots like ChatGPT or image generators like Grok Imagine rely on vast amounts of data taken from the open web to help create their responses. Creative professionals argue that tech companies should seek their permission before using such content – ​​and should receive payment if they give their consent.
OpenAI and other AI firms have argued that use of material available online is “fair use”, a US legal doctrine that allows the use of a copyright-protected work without the owner’s permission in certain circumstances. Like last year, dozens of lawsuits Was launched in US over AI and copyright issue.
Johansson was dragged into the AI ​​debate in 2024 when OpenAI’s voice assistant used her vocal likeness, leading the actor to say she was “shocked, angry and in disbelief” by the move. OpenAI later removed voice from ChatGPT.
Others who signed the statement include actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan and singer Cyndi Lauper. Last year Gilligan described the AI ​​as “the world’s most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine”.
The “Stealing Is Not Innovation” campaign is organized by the Human Artistry Campaign, whose supporters include the Writers Guild of America, the Recording Industry Association of America, and the actors trade union SAG-AFTRA, which went on strike in 2023 over the use of AI in part.
In the UK, the government is under fire for a proposal that AI firms should be allowed to use copyright-protected works without the artists’ permission first, unless they indicate they want to “opt out” of the process. Liz Kendall, the technology secretary, said this month that the government was seeking a “reset” on these plans through an official review to be published in March.
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