A group of Hollywood celebrities, including Ben Stiller, Cate Blanchett, and Cynthia Erivo, has sent an open letter to Donald Trump’s White House, urging the administration to protect film, TV, and music copyrights from the growing influence of big tech and artificial intelligence (AI). The letter is a response to companies like Google and OpenAI, which argue that AI models need to be trained on large amounts of copyrighted material in order to stay competitive, particularly with China’s rapid AI advancements.
The Hollywood stars in their letter argue that weakening copyright laws would harm the U.S. creative industries, which generate over $230 billion annually and support more than 2.3 million jobs. They warn that allowing tech giants to freely use copyrighted content would threaten the country’s economy and global influence. “If we allow big tech to exploit America’s creative and knowledge industries, we risk destroying the world’s most vibrant creative economy,” the letter states.
The letter follows a January executive order signed by Trump, which aims to boost America’s leadership in AI by reducing government regulation. The order invites companies and other stakeholders to submit proposals for the future of AI. Tech companies, including Google and OpenAI, have argued that they need access to vast amounts of copyrighted work to train their AI models or risk falling behind in the global AI race. OpenAI, for instance, highlighted the threat posed by China’s advancements in AI, particularly with models like DeepSeek.
The issue of AI’s impact on Hollywood is especially sensitive. While studios and producers are exploring AI as a cost-saving tool, many creatives fear it could threaten jobs and the quality of content. AI was a central issue during the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes, where deals were made to ensure AI couldn’t be used to replace writers or actors without consent or compensation.
In their letter, the Hollywood stars stress that the fight to protect copyrights goes beyond entertainment, as it impacts all sectors of America’s knowledge industries. With the power of tech companies growing, this issue remains a key concern for the future of creativity and innovation in the U.S.
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