Hollywood Stars Want Trump to Protect Film and TV Copyrights from AI Infringement
More than 400 Hollywood stars put pen to paper, urging President Trump to protect their works from AI.
Recently, over 400 Hollywood stars jointly sent an open letter to the Trumo administration, urging the president to work on the protection of copyrights in the film, music, and other creative industries, geared towards resisting the encroachment of tech giants and artificial intelligence (AI). The letter, signed by stars including Ben Stiller, Cate Blanchett, and Cynthia Erivo, comes at a time when Trump signed an executive order in January, pledging to eliminate "redundant government controls on AI" to enhance "American leadership in the global AI arena."
Broader Copyright Protection
In the open letter, the stars strongly oppose the acquisition of extensive copyrighted content by tech companies like Google and OpenAI for AI training. They further argue that weak copyright protection will allow tech companies to "exploit America's creative and intellectual industries," threatening "the world's most vibrant creative economy."
They emphasize that the American entertainment industry supports 2.3 million jobs, generates approximately $230 billion in wages annually, and plays a crucial role in supporting America's democratic influence and international soft power. In 2023, the use of AI triggered a months-long strike that severely impacted the American entertainment industry. However, writers and actors ultimately reached an agreement with production companies, establishing strict AI safeguards to ensure that creators' consent and compensation are obtained when their work is used in AI model training.
These measures include protection for the use of movie scripts and the likenesses of actors used to build computer-generated characters.
Threat to American Innovation
With Trump leading the country, issues stemming from AI continue to pop up. The Hollywood stars' letter points out that this issue isn't just about the entertainment industry; it impacts America's entire intellectual property sector. They believe that allowing AI to train on all copyrighted content will have a profound impact on American innovation and competitiveness.
Organizers are still collecting signatures, hoping for stronger policy protection.
