Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus, actor Julianne Moore and Radiohead singer Thom Yorke are among 10,500 signatories to a creative industry statement warning artificial intelligence companies that unlicensed use of their work is a “major, unjust threat” to artists’ livelihoods .
The statement comes amid legal battles between creative professionals and tech companies over the use of their work to train AI models like ChatGPT, claiming that using their intellectual property without permission is a copyright violation.
“The unlicensed use of creative works to train generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind these works, and should not be allowed,” the statement reads.
Thousands of creative professionals from the worlds of literature, music, film, theater and television have given their support to the declaration, with authors such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Ann Patchett and Kate Mosse, musicians such as Robert Smith of The Cure and the composer Max. Richter and actors such as Kevin Bacon, Rosario Dawson and F Murray Abraham.
The letter’s organizer, British composer and former AI director Ed Newton-Rex, said people who make a living from creative work are “very concerned” about the situation.
“There are three main resources that generative AI companies need to build AI models: people, computing power and data. They spend enormous amounts of money on the first two – sometimes a million dollars per engineer, and up to a billion dollars per model. But they expect to be able to use the third one – training data – for free,” he said.
Newton-Rex is the former head of audio at technology company Stability AI, but resigned last year due to the company’s belief that using copyrighted content without a license to train AI models is “fair use,” a term under U.S. copyright law which signifies copyright permission. owner is not necessary.
Newton-Rex added: “When AI companies call this ‘training data’ they are dehumanizing it. What we’re talking about is people’s work – their writing, their art, their music.”
In the US, John Grisham, Jodi Picoult and George RR Martin are among a group of authors suing ChatGPT developer OpenAI for alleged copyright infringement, while artists are also suing tech companies behind image generators and major record labels, including Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group sues AI music makers Suno and Udio.
Newton-Rex also warned that an “opt-out” proposal for content scrapping being considered by the UK government would be deeply damaging. This month, the Financial Times reported that ministers would consult on a plan that would allow AI companies to scrape content from artists and publishers unless they “opt out” of the process.
Last month, Google, a major player in AI, called for an easing of restrictions on a practice in Britain known as text and data mining (TDM), which allows copying of copyrighted work for non-commercial purposes such as academic research.
Newton-Rex said the opt-out option was flawed because most people are unaware of such schemes.
“I have implemented opt-out schemes for AI companies,” says Newton-Rex. “Even the most well-executed opt-out schemes are missed by most people who have the opportunity to opt out. You never hear about it, you miss the email.
“It is completely unfair to place the burden of refusing AI training on the creator whose work is being trained. If a government really thought this was a good thing for creators, it would create an opt-in scheme.”
Newton-Rex said the number of signatories to the statement, and the breadth of creative talent they represent, made it clear that an opt-out scheme would be considered “totally unfair” by creators.
The statement was also signed by creative industry organizations and companies, including the American Federation of Musicians, US actors’ union SAG-AFTRA, the European Writers’ Council and Universal Music Group.
A UK government spokesperson said meetings have been held with AI companies and the creative industries on copyright, adding that it is an area that “requires thoughtful engagement, and as part of that we are committed to a broad to hear a range of opinions to help inform our approach.”
