Los Angeles: Over 400 prominent Hollywood figures, including actors Ben Stiller and Aubrey Plaza, musician Paul McCartney, and director Guillermo del Toro, have signed an open letter urging the White House to uphold strong copyright protections against artificial intelligence (AI) companies. The letter, addressed to former President Donald Trump, expresses concerns over AI firms like OpenAI and Google using copyrighted material without fair compensation.
The entertainment industry leaders warn that weakening copyright laws could allow AI models to freely exploit creative works, undermining the rights and earnings of artists, filmmakers, and musicians. The letter emphasizes that the arts sector contributes over $229 billion in wages and supports 2.3 million jobs in the U.S. economy.
This move comes amid growing concerns over AI’s ability to replicate voices, writing styles, and artistic creations without proper credit or payment to original creators. Hollywood has been vocal about AI’s impact, with last year’s actors’ and writers’ strikes also highlighting similar concerns.
The letter calls for legislative action to ensure AI companies obtain consent, give credit, and fairly compensate artists when using their work. Industry leaders fear that if left unchecked, AI’s expansion could set a dangerous precedent for all creative industries.
The White House has yet to respond publicly, but the debate over AI and copyright protections continues to heat up, with legal battles and potential policy changes on the horizon.-AirMedia Broadcast
