A growing coalition of musicians, actors, authors, and content creators has united behind a new campaign pushing back against the use of copyrighted works in artificial intelligence training models without permission.
The initiative, titled Stealing Isn't Innovation, is being led by the Human Artistry Campaign and features a high-profile list of supporters, including Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, R.E.M., and bestselling author Brad Meltzer. The campaign (rightfully) argues that major tech companies are exploiting creative works to build AI platforms without authorization, threatening both copyright law and the future of human creativity.
According to the campaign's website, "some of the biggest tech companies, many backed by private equity and other funders, are using American creators' work to build AI platforms without authorization or regard for copyright law." The group warns that this practice undermines the creative economy and places long-term U.S. jobs, economic growth, and global cultural influence at risk.
The Human Artistry Campaign includes dozens of influential industry organizations, such as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), SAG-AFTRA, the Recording Academy, and the Directors Guild of America. Notably absent from the list is the Motion Picture Association.
In a joint statement, the campaign described the situation as a "massive rip off," asserting that the unchecked use of copyrighted material in AI training "erodes the very foundation of the U.S.'s world-leading entertainment industry." The group argues that if AI developers are allowed to continue using protected works without licensing, creators may soon be unable to afford producing original content, as AI-generated material increasingly competes with human-made works.
Per the Stealing Isn't Innovation website: "America's creative community is the envy of the world and creates jobs, economic growth, and exports. But rather than respect and protect this valuable asset, some of the biggest tech companies, many backed by private equity and other funders, are using American creators' work to build AI platforms without authorization or regard for copyright law.
"Artists, writers, and creators of all kinds are banding together with a simple message: Stealing our work is not innovation. It's not progress. It's theft – plain and simple.
"A better way exists – through licensing deals and partnerships, some AI companies have taken the responsible, ethical route to obtaining the content and materials they wish to use. It is possible to have it all. We can have advanced, rapidly developing AI and ensure creators' rights are respected."
The campaign is calling on AI companies to properly license copyrighted content used in their training data. While some agreements have emerged — including a recent deal between The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI for limited character usage — legal battles continue to mount. Disney has also sued Google, while Warner Bros., Disney, and NBCUniversal are among those pursuing litigation against Midjourney over alleged copyright violations.
Senior adviser Moiya McTier explained that the campaign's branding — featuring visual "static" — is meant to symbolize a future stripped of originality and human expression.
"The 'static' represents our future if we continue permitting AI developers to behave this way: bland and devoid of human creativity," McTier said.
AI developers have consistently argued that using copyrighted material to train models constitutes fair use, a claim that sits at the heart of numerous ongoing lawsuits. As courts weigh these arguments, the "Stealing Isn't Innovation" campaign aims to apply public and political pressure through social media efforts and full-page advertisements.
