More than 11,500 artists, including famous musicians and actors, are uniting against the unauthorized use of their works by artificial intelligence. Through a petition, they denounce the threats this poses to their rights and livelihoods.
More than 11,500 artists, including well-known figures such as Thom Yorke from Radiohead, Björn Ulvaeus from ABBA, and Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore, have signed a petition published on Tuesday. This initiative aims to raise public awareness about the growing use of their works to train artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. The petition, which remains open for signatures, denounces the unauthorized use of artistic creations to train generative AIs. The signatories argue that this practice poses a “major and unfair threat” to the livelihoods of artists, emphasizing that such abuses should not be tolerated. The collective commitment of the artists highlights the urgency of protecting their rights in the face of expanding technology.
Film and Music
In the film industry, AI has also taken on an increasing role, with studios beginning to use it for controversial projects, such as the digital resurrection of deceased stars or generating background actors in action scenes. American actors, including Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, and Sean Astin—famous for his role as Sam Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings—have shown their support for this petition, expressing concern about the potential excesses of these practices.
The fields of music and literature are not spared. Generative AI technology allows for the creation of music tracks and stories on demand, raising growing concern among artists. Ed Newton-Rex, a composer and former employee in the AI sector, launched this petition. According to him, companies are exploiting copyrighted content without compensating artists, which he describes as a “dehumanizing” process.
Systematic Theft
In addition to musicians like Jason Kay (Jamiroquai), Max Richter, and Robert Smith (The Cure), many renowned novelists have signed the petition. Among them are Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro, as well as bestselling authors Harlan Coben, Madeline Miller, and James Patterson. This debate is not new. Last year, writers such as John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, and George R.R. Martin had already filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the company of “systematic large-scale theft” of their works.
On the legislative front, several Hollywood celebrities, including Pedro Pascal, Jane Fonda, and Mark Hamill, recently supported a bill aimed at regulating the use of AI in California. However, this initiative has been blocked by Governor Gavin Newsom, illustrating the political challenges surrounding this issue.
Meanwhile, some stars are choosing to collaborate with tech companies. Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) announced last week a partnership with actor Casey Affleck and Blumhouse Productions to test an AI-based film generation software. This duality of response—between resistance and cooperation—reflects the current tensions between artistic creativity and technological advancement.
With AFP
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