Creatives Call for Federal Action Against Unlicensed AI Use of Artwork and Written Content

Introduction: 

Since the launch of advanced AI tools like ChatGPT in late 2022, artificial intelligence has proven capable of replicating, and sometimes even outperforming, human abilities in fields once thought exclusive to human expertise, from painting and storytelling to providing virtual rapy. However, this remarkable progress has ignited a fierce debate about the cost to human creators, sparking a formal outcry from over 10,000 creative professionals. In an open statement issued on October 22, y condemned AI’s reliance on unlicensed human work, calling for legal protections and posing significant questions about the future of intellectual property rights. 

AI’s Growing Threat to Creative Professions 

AI’s development has largely been fueled by vast datasets of human-made content, used to “train” the tools to generate new art, text, and creative outputs. Yet, this practice raises serious ethical and financial concerns for artists and writers. A January exposé listing thousands of affected artists illustrated the pervasiveness of this issue, spotlighting AI’s heavy dependence on scraping human-generated works. By acquiring such datasets without consent, critics argue that AI undermines not only the rights of creatives but also their livelihoods. 

Prominent voices, including Oscar-winning actor Julianne Moore and bestselling novelist James Patterson, are leading the charge. Alongside thousands of ors, y signed October statement, a sharp one-liner that reads, “unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to livelihoods of people behind those works, and must not be permitted.” This sentiment captures the frustration that’s simmered for over a year among creators, many of whom feel left behind as AI continues to gain capabilities that threaten our industries. 

Financial Impact on Creative Industries 

economic concerns around unlicensed AI use are not new, but they’ve intensified in recent months. In 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA staged nearly five months of strikes, partly to address the threat of AI in entertainment. Among many grievances was fear that AI tools could clone actors’ likenesses or emulate writers’ voices, without consent or compensation. Se strikes shook Hollywood, freezing production and underscoring the creative community’s growing anxiety about AI’s potential to erode income streams. 

October statement demonstrates that, while  WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes brought concessions, many creatives remain deeply uneasy. Artists, actors, and writers see AI as a potential disruptor, capable of not only reproducing our work but also reducing job opportunities. As compensation structures already strained by the streaming era face further destabilization, creatives are demanding more robust protections against unauthorized AI usage. 

Legal Ambiguities and Calls for Federal Intervention 

The unlicensed use of human creations in AI training also presents a thorny legal issue. Some applications of AI scraping, such as using an actor’s digital likeness without permission or verbatim copying of news articles, constitute clear copyright infringement and are illegal in many states. However, AI’s learning processes often involve more abstract interactions with creative data, drawing inspiration from thousands of artworks or written pieces to generate something new — a practice not so different from how human artists develop their styles. 

Because of the complexities, existing copyright laws struggle to fully address AI’s implications. As AI’s capabilities grow, creatives and advocates alike argue that the U.S. government must step in to fill legal gaps, providing guidelines that clarify the boundaries of ethical AI use. Some media companies, like  New York Times, have already begun pushing back.  Times filed a lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI last December, accusing m of scraping its content, sometimes verbatim, to bolster AI’s knowledge base. This case underscores a pivotal point: AI’s use of copyrighted materials poses a direct threat to industries relying on original content. 

A United Front Against Unlicensed AI Scraping 

Artists are not waiting for lawmakers to catch up. A recent statement illustrates a powerful resolve within the creative community to resist AI encroachment on our professions. A coalition of artists, actors, and writers is growing, and the message is clear: AI’s rapid progress should not infringe upon human rights or threaten livelihoods. As creatives work to preserve the value of their labor, they are also pressing for immediate federal action to safeguard intellectual property rights. 

The call to action issued on October 22 marks a new chapter in the struggle for control over creative content in an AI-driven world. As technology and creativity converge in unprecedented ways, the stakes for artists and creators have never been higher. Creatives are determined to ensure that the value of their work is recognized and protected — and that AI’s future unfolds in a way that respects, rather than exploits, the human ingenuity it depends upon.