‘Hollywood Stars Opposed to Trump Seek Government Assistance for AI Copyright Protections in Open Letter – One America News Network’
By OAN Staff Blake Wolf
3:53 PM – Friday, March 21, 2025
Several Hollywood celebrities who have previously criticized President Donald Trump’s administration are now reportedly seeking its help in establishing copyright protections for artificial intelligence (AI), as the entertainment sector grapples with the implications of this emerging technology.
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Actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller, musician Paul McCartney, and actor Mark Ruffalo are among the over 400 entertainment professionals who signed an open letter directed to President Trump’s administration this week.
“We strongly believe that America’s leadership in AI should not jeopardize our crucial creative industries,” the letter stated, addressed to the Trump administration’s Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is a department within the United States government, part of the Executive Office of the President. Established by Congress, the OSTP provides the president and the Executive Office of the President (EOP) with counsel on the scientific, engineering, and technological aspects of national policy and the workings of the executive branch. This encompasses issues relating to the economy, national security, homeland security, health, foreign relations, environmental matters, education, and resource management, as outlined by the White House.
“The arts and entertainment sector in America supports over 2.3 million jobs, generating more than $229 billion in wages every year while laying the groundwork for American democratic influence and soft power globally. However, AI companies are attempting to undermine this economic and cultural strength by diluting copyright protections for films, television shows, artwork, literature, music, and the voices used to train the AI models that are central to multi-billion dollar corporate valuations,” the letter further elaborated.
For years, companies developing AI technologies have allegedly gathered copyrighted art, literature, music, and other creative works without compensating the creators. Subsequently, these companies can generate their own works, profiting from what many consider “stolen” material.
“For nearly 250 years, U.S. copyright law has maintained a balance between a creator’s rights and the public’s interests, fostering the world’s most vibrant creative economy,” it added. “We advocate that the American AI Action Plan uphold current copyright frameworks to ensure the continued strength of America’s creative and knowledge industries, as well as its cultural influence abroad.”
This letter responds to requests from Google and OpenAI, which seek permission to train their own AI models on copyrighted materials.
“The federal government can both ensure Americans’ freedom to learn from AI and avoid losing our lead in AI to the PRC by allowing American AI models to learn from copyrighted material,” read OpenAI’s letter.
The entertainment industry countered OpenAI’s argument, stating: “There is no justification for weakening or eliminating the copyright protections that have supported America’s prosperity. Not when AI companies can utilize our copyrighted materials simply by adhering to legal requirements: negotiating suitable licenses with copyright holders – just as every other industry is required to do.”
Many of these Hollywood figures have consistently criticized Trump, including Ruffalo, who has been particularly vocal against him, even labeling the 47th president as an “Enemy of America from within.”
Director Ava DuVernay, who also reportedly signed the letter, has previously condemned both Trump and Musk, remarking that the “country is run by criminals, yet that criminality is perceived differently than a Black child on the corner who may be involved in purchasing or selling marijuana.”
“The Black child faces years in prison, whereas these criminals are elected officials who earn millions and sell electric cars,” she added.
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