More than 25,000 artists signed an open letter on Wednesday (October 23, 2024) against the unauthorized use of works to train generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The signatories warn that the practice could compromise the remuneration of content creators.
The following are some of the names supporting the document:
- Julianne Moore, an Oscar-winning American actress
- Björn Ulvaeus, Swedish singer and songwriter
- AURORA, Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer
- Kevin Bacon, American actor
- Thom Yorke, English musician
- James Patterson, American author
- Kate McKinnon, American actress and comedian
- Rosario Dawson, American actress
The document declares that “the unauthorized use of creative works to train generative AI poses a significant and unfair threat to the livelihoods of the creators of those works and should not be permitted.”
British composer Ed Newton-Rex, a former AI executive, spearheaded the project. He argues that companies in the sector use copyrighted content in their training without offering adequate compensation to the original creators.
Hollywood’s manifesto is released during a heated discussion about regulating AI. The first thorough law on the topic, the AI Act, was passed by the European Union in December 2023. It contains particular clauses pertaining to transparency when using copyrighted works to train generative AI.
The Hollywood Writers Guild (WGA) and Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) strikes in 2023 brought concerns about the use of AI in entertainment to the fore. After 148 and 118 days of strikes, respectively, agreements were reached that established particular safeguards against the unapproved use of AI.
Mandatory consent and compensation for the use of actors’ voices and images in digital replicas, as well as assurances to screenwriters that AI cannot be given credit for writing scripts or be used to rewrite existing works without human oversight, are some of the accomplishments of the strikes.
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