Thousands of Artists Sign Statement Opposing Unlicensed Use of Their Work for Training AI

Thousands of Artists Sign Statement Opposing Unlicensed Use of Their Work for Training AI

Thousands of creatives across the music, film, and literary industries have signed a statement protesting AI companies using their work without permission. The protest brings together high profile supporters that include Radiohead, George R.R. Martin, Kevin Bacon, and Max Richter who warn that unauthorized AI training threatens creative livelihoods.

"The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted," reads the statement, which has over 13000 signatories, and gathered support from actors Julianne Moore and Rosario Dawson, alongside authors Kazuo Ishiguro and James Patterson.

The initiative, spearheaded by former AI executive Ed Newton-Rex, highlights a growing tension between tech companies and content creators. Newton-Rex, who resigned from Stability AI over similar concerns, points out that while AI companies invest heavily in engineering and computing power, they expect to use creative works as training data without compensation.

All three major record labels - Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group - have backed the statement, marking a rare unified front in the industry. This comes as these companies pursue legal action against AI music creators Suno and Udio for alleged copyright infringement.

The timing is particularly significant as the UK government considers an "opt-out" scheme for AI training data. Under this proposal, AI companies could freely use creative works unless artists explicitly decline participation - an approach Newton-Rex criticizes as fundamentally unfair to creators.

"When AI companies call this 'training data,' they dehumanize it," Newton-Rex says. "What we're talking about is people's work – their writing, their art, their music."

The campaign emerges amid ongoing legal battles, including lawsuits from authors like John Grisham against OpenAI and increasing pressure from music industry organizations for stronger copyright protections in the AI era.

Chris McKay is the founder and chief editor of Maginative. His thought leadership in AI literacy and strategic AI adoption has been recognized by top academic institutions, media, and global brands.

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