A-List creatives sign up to fight AI, say it enables 'theft at a grand scale' (www.engadget.com)

Over 700 artists, including celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and the band R.E.M., have banded together to launch the campaign “Stealing isn’t Innovation,” demanding that tech companies cease using their work without authorization to train AI models. The campaign underscores the artists' assertion that the unlicensed appropriation of their intellectual property not only disrespects creators but also leads to a proliferation of misinformation and low-quality content, which they refer to as “AI slop.” This unauthorized use threatens not only cultural integrity but also America's competitiveness in AI development. The advocacy highlights a critical issue in AI/ML: the reliance on copyrighted materials for training models. Prominent figures argue that current copyright laws are being undermined by tech giants seeking to exploit creative works without proper compensation. OpenAI has previously claimed that using copyrighted content is necessary for effective AI training; however, the backlash from creators suggests a growing demand for a more ethical approach involving licensing and partnerships. As legal battles loom, the campaign highlights a pivotal moment in the ongoing discourse about intellectual property rights in the age of artificial intelligence.