EXCLUSIVE: The Housemaid director Paul Feig has joined more than 1,000 creatives in signing an open letter demanding that tech companies stop “stealing” copyrighted artistic work.
The Bridesmaids helmer has put his name to the “Stealing Isn’t Innovation” movement from the Human Artistry Campaign, which previously announced Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt among its supporters.
Signatories have accused unnamed tech giants of “theft” and demanded that the companies engage in “ethical” partnerships when attempting to access artistic content. It marks one of the most coordinated backlashes against AI exploitation from the Hollywood community.
As well as Feig, other new signatories include Rosanne Cash, the singer-songwriter and daughter of Johnny Cash, and the band Cake. Sean Astin and Fran Drescher, the current and former president of SAG-AFTRA, were also added to the “Stealing Isn’t Innovation” website.
The Human Artistry Campaign, assembled by unions and other creative groups following the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, advocates for “human-centric” principles around AI models, including transparency and fair compensation for copyrighted material.
Dr. Moiya McTier, an advisor to the Human Artistry Campaign, told Deadline: “We aren’t going to be able to get commitment from the AI companies if lots of people aren’t talking about how AI is affecting them personally. We need people to understand that the artists that you love don’t want this. It’s making artists’ lives and careers harder.”
McTier declined to name and shame any specific AI companies that may have flouted copyrighted material, but Hollywood studios like Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery have issued legal threats against the likes of Google and Midjourney.
McTier, an astrophysicist and creative writer, said part of the Human Artistry Campaign involves encouraging “the artsy people and the techie people to talk.” McTier said Disney’s deal with OpenAI is an example of the kind of partnership that should become more commonplace.
A Stealing Isn’t Innovation website features the full list of signatories next to a statement, which reads: “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.”