he entertainment industry is sending mixed signals about its feelings toward AI.
As movie studios and music labels continue to forge deals with AI firms, hundreds of artists are joining together to protest AI’s place in entertainment. On Thursday, a coalition of writers, actors, musicians and more launched a petition titled “Stealing Isn’t Innovation,” protesting AI training with unauthorized content.
The petition, which counts Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, REM and Jodi Picoult among its signatories, has amassed more than 800 signatures. The campaign targets AI companies and tech giants for their “illegal mass harvesting of copyrighted works.”
“AI companies are endangering artists’ careers while exploiting their practiced craft, using human art and other creative works without authorization to amass billions in corporate earnings,” Human Artistry Campaign Senior Advisor Dr. Moiya McTier said in a statement.
The efforts follow a broader fight by Hollywood actors and artists to separate their work from the technology. In December, a number of big entertainment industry names launched the Creators Coalition on AI, aiming to organize a “central hub for cross-industry discussions about how AI is impacting the entertainment industry.” The coalition counts Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natasha Lyonne, Daniel Kwan and several hundred others as members.
But not everyone is so strongly opposed to the tech’s use in creative flows. On Wednesday, ElevenLabs launched “The Eleven Album,” the fruits of a partnership between the voice AI company and artists Liza Minnelli, Art Garfunkel, and more, using AI to “co-create” studio-quality music.
The partnership follows several major music labels partnering with AI-powered music platforms like Suno and Udio, signaling that the music industry may be more keen on leveraging AI than its silver screen counterparts.
Some, meanwhile, might see a middle ground: In his annual letter to the YouTube community published Wednesday, CEO Neal Mohan highlighted that, while putting an end to AI slop and unregulated deepfakes remains a priority, “AI will be a boon to the creatives who are ready to lean in.”