While concise, this declaration addresses a complex and pressing issue. It reflects growing concerns among creators and rights holders about the exploitation of their work by AI companies and developers, who are using creative works (often without permission) to train generative AI models. This practice risks undermining artists’ creativity and work, which they rely on for their livelihood.
Less than a week after its release, the petition has reached just under 30,000 signatories, from across the creative industries – musicians, authors, artists, actors, and more. Notable signatories include artists Joel Shapiro, Gregory Edwards, Amoako Boafo, Joanna Pousette-Dart, Tishan Hsu, as well as photographer and painter Lynn Goldsmith.
This statement is just the latest in the movement against AI companies using creative art for generative training purposes. Earlier this year, the Artists Rights Alliance released an open letter calling for the responsible use of AI in music and another one by the Authors Guild urging AI companies to obtain consent, credit, and offer fair compensation before using copyrighted works in datasets for AI training.
