Hollywood actors urge US to protect copyrights from AI use

Led by actress Natasha Lyonne and signed by figures including Bette Midler, Aubrey Plaza, Mark Ruffalo, and Cate Blanchett, the letter warns that relaxing copyright laws to allow AI training on creative content could undermine the entertainment industry’s economic strength.

The call follows recent recommendations from OpenAI and Google, which have suggested easing copyright restrictions to allow AI developers to use existing content for training. Google argued that such use falls under fair use and would not significantly impact rights holders.

However, Hollywood creatives remain deeply concerned. The letter emphasizes that the entertainment industry supports more than 2.3 million US jobs and generates over $229 billion in wages annually, warning that AI companies aim to “undermine this economic and cultural strength.”

Actors have been pushing back against AI’s role in filmmaking.

During the 2024 contract negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which represents over 160,000 performers in the US, AI regulation was a major sticking point. The union demanded that actors give consent and receive fair compensation before studios could use their digital likenesses.

After a 118-day strike, the final agreement included provisions requiring consent and compensation when AI is used in film and TV productions.