Hollywood has long had a turbulent relationship with Donald Trump, with many actors, and musicians, openly opposing him. However, as Trump assumed office as the 47th U.S. President, shifting circumstances have prompted several Hollywood stars to seek his support in pushing for stronger regulations on AI.
Concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence on the film industry, they are now calling on his administration to intervene and protect creative professionals from AI-driven exploitation.
Hollywood urges Donald Trump to protect copyrights from AI exploitation
Hollywood is facing another AI-related controversy and is now urging Donald Trump to maintain strong copyright protections and resist pressure from AI companies seeking to weaken them.
More than 400 Hollywood insiders, including actors, directors, and musicians, have signed an open letter to the Trump administration’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, urging them not to roll back copyright protections at the injunction of AI companies, as per CBS News.
The open letter was reportedly penned in response to OpenAI and Google’s recent submissions to the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
OpenAI and Google wrote an AI action plan to the Office of Science and Technology Policy earlier this month, arguing that it would be beneficial for the AI companies to use copyrighted material to train AI.
Many Hollywood celebrities, including some who have openly criticized Trump, such as Mark Ruffalo and Aubrey Plaza, have signed the letter in support, along with Ben Stiller, Ayo Edebiri, Cate Blanchett, and many others.
What does Hollywood’s open letter to the Trump Administration say?
Hollywood’s open letter to the Trump administration opposes Google’s and OpenAI’s demands, arguing that the government should not sacrifice its creative industries to pursue AI leadership.
“We firmly believe that America’s global AI leadership must not come at the expense of our essential creative industries,” the letter says, as per Variety.
It also asserts that the AI companies are seeking an exception in copyright laws so that they can “freely exploit America’s creative and knowledge industries, despite their substantial revenues and available funds.”
The letter also claims that AI companies are trying to weaken copyright protections, suggesting that such actions could harm both the economy and culture by devaluing human-made content.
AI companies are asking to undermine this economic and cultural strength by weakening copyright protections for the films, television series, artworks, writing, music, and voices used to train AI models at the core of multibillion-dollar corporate valuations.
This is not the first time Hollywood actors have pushed back against AI’s influence. The issue was central to the 2024 SAG-AFTRA union negotiations, where concerns over AI usage led to a prolonged 118-day strike.
Ultimately, a deal was reached, securing provisions for consent and compensation when AI is used in film and television productions.
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