A group of over 420 entertainment industry insiders, including actors Natasha Lyonne, Bette Midler, and Ava DuVernay, has signed an open letter urging the government to maintain strong copyright laws for artificial intelligence. The move comes as major U.S. companies like OpenAI and Google have recommended relaxing regulations on AI training using copyrighted materials.
The group argues that loosening copyright laws would harm creative industries, which support over 2.3 million jobs in the U.S. and generate $229 billion in wages annually. They claim that allowing AI developers to use copyrighted material without consent would undermine economic and cultural strength.
In contrast, Google has argued that exceptions to copyright laws would allow the use of publicly available material for AI training while minimizing impact on rights holders. However, the industry has long been wary of AI expansion, fearing it would erode creative work.
Following a 118-day SAG-AFTRA strike, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills into law that protect actors from artificial intelligence replicas. The move aims to balance copyright rules and ensure fair compensation for performers’ digital replicas.
The issue has sparked debate, with Vice President JD Vance warning against overregulation of AI, while President Trump plans to invest $500 billion in private sector AI development. The American Civil Liberties Union has criticized the rollback of former President Biden’s AI guidelines, calling it a “grave mistake” that risks wasting agency resources and compromising civil rights.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/actors-artificial-intelligence-ai-hollywood-copyright-regulation