More than 400 Hollywood creatives have signed an open letter urging the Trump administration to reject OpenAI and Google's proposals that would expand AI training on copyrighted works—arguing such changes would allow these companies to "freely exploit" creative industries. The details:
- The letter directly responds to OpenAI and Google's AI Action Plan submissions, which advocated for expanded fair use protections for AI training
- OpenAI characterized AI copyright exemptions as a "matter of national security," while Google argued the current fair use framework already adequately supports AI innovation
- Prominent celebrities including Ben Stiller, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett, Paul McCartney, Taika Waititi, and Aubrey Plaza are among the high-profile signatories
- The letter emphasizes that AI companies could simply "negotiate appropriate licenses with copyright holders — just as every other industry does"
Why it matters: The Hollywood versus AI standoff represents a fundamental collision of values — the tech industry's "move fast and iterate" philosophy against Hollywood's centuries-old intellectual property frameworks. However, with AI giants worldwide already consuming vast amounts of global data even without explicit copyright protections, this confrontation may ultimately prove more symbolic than practical in nature.