Creatives Rally Against a Future Dominated by AI-Generated Content
Around 800 artists, writers, actors, and musicians have rallied behind a new initiative they describe as a stand against “theft at a grand scale” by AI companies. This campaign, titled “Stealing Isn’t Innovation,” features notable figures such as authors George Saunders and Jodi Picoult, actors Cate Blanchett and Scarlett Johansson, and musicians including R.E.M., Billy Corgan, and The Roots.
According to a press release, “Fueled by intense competition for dominance in the emerging GenAI landscape, profit-driven tech firms—ranging from some of the wealthiest in the world to private equity-backed startups—have unlawfully appropriated vast amounts of creative content online without consent or compensation to the original creators. This unlawful seizure of intellectual property cultivates an information environment rife with misinformation, deepfakes, and a flood of low-quality content, often referred to as ‘AI slop,’ jeopardizing the integrity of AI models and posing a direct threat to America’s leadership in AI and its global competitiveness.”
The Human Artistry Campaign, which includes various organizations such as performers’ unions and professional sports players’ unions, is spearheading this advocacy effort. The campaign’s messages will be showcased in full-page advertisements across news platforms and social media. It specifically demands licensing agreements and a “healthy enforcement environment,” as well as the right for artists to opt out of having their work used for training generative AI.
On the federal front, efforts led by President Donald Trump and his tech allies aim to influence how states regulate AI and penalize those that attempt to impose restrictions. Meanwhile, in the tech industry, companies and rights holders that were once at odds are increasingly forming licensing agreements that permit AI firms to utilize protected works. This trend suggests a potential compromise that both sides can accept, at least for the time being. For instance, major record labels have begun collaborating with AI music startups to allow their catalogs to be used for AI remixing and model training. Digital publishers, some of whom have taken legal action against AI companies for using their content, are now supporting a licensing standard that enables them to prevent their material from appearing in AI search results. Additionally, some organizations have entered into individual agreements with tech companies, permitting AI chatbots to access news content.
