Why Celebrities, Actors, Writers, and Artists Fear AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way we create and use information. Tools like Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT allow people to quickly generate content, such as stories, computer code, and even medical diagnoses. Programs like DALL-E can create images based on user prompts. However, this raises questions about ownership. Who owns the content created by AI—especially when it uses someone’s voice or likeness?

Celebrities like Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson have had their likenesses used in ads without their permission, and musicians like Drake and The Weeknd have faced similar issues with AI-generated music. Copyright laws have not caught up with this technology, leaving a gray area about rights and ownership. As of 2024, some U.S. states, like California and Illinois, have passed laws to protect people from AI misuse, but Congress has not made any significant progress in regulating AI.

AI models are trained by analyzing large amounts of text, images, and music from the internet, often using copyrighted material. While companies like OpenAI argue this is “fair use,” lawsuits have been filed by artists and companies like Getty Images, who claim AI is infringing on their rights. Some artists, writers, and musicians are concerned that AI could take their jobs. However, others believe AI will act as a co-creator, helping people with tasks like research and enhancing, rather than replacing, human creativity.

AI’s rapid development will likely lead to more legal challenges and changes in how we create, consume, and protect creative works. The balance between human creators and AI continues to evolve.

Read the full article “Why Celebrities, Actors, Writers, and Artists Fear AI” by Leslie Alan Horvitz

🔭   This summary was human-edited with AI-assist.