Scarlett Johansson joins anti-AI community, says stealing work not cool

Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and more than 700 other artists, writers, and creators are sending a clear message to tech companies. They say that your AI can’t have their work for free.

The coalition has launched a high-profile campaign calling out the unauthorized use of copyrighted material, insisting that “Stealing our work is not innovation. It’s not progress. It’s theft.”

As lawmakers in the U.S. and Europe debate new rules around AI training data, the campaign highlights a growing threat to the creative ecosystem. 

The sector supports millions of jobs and projects cultural influence worldwide yet developers have been harvesting content without permission, compensation, or transparency.

“America’s creative community is the envy of the world,” the statement reads. 

“But rather than respect this asset, some of the biggest tech companies are using creators’ work to build AI platforms without regard for copyright law.” 

The campaign urges companies to pursue licensing deals, pointing out that responsible partnerships can allow AI to advance while still protecting artists’ rights.

Johansson has long taken a stand on AI misuse. In February 2024, she slammed a viral video featuring AI-generated versions of herself and other celebrities protesting Kanye West’s antisemitic posts. 

She also filed legal action in November 2023 against an AI app that used her name and likeness in an online ad without permission, and condemned OpenAI in May 2024 for training GPT-4o on her voice from Spike Jonze’s Her.

Blanchett, meanwhile, has repeatedly cautioned against unchecked AI development.