Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Bell, and Vince Gilligan among 700 Hollywood creatives behind anti-AI campaign: "Stealing our work is not innovation"

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Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Bell, and Vince Gilligan among 700 Hollywood creatives behind anti-AI campaign: "Stealing our work is not innovation" News By Lauren Milici published 23 January 2026

"A better way exists"

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Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Bell, and Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan are among 700 Hollywood creatives who have put their signature on a new anti-AI campaign.

"America’s creative community is the envy of the world," the statement reads. "But rather than respect and protect this valuable asset, some of the biggest tech companies, many backed by private equity and other funders, are using American creators’ work to build AI platforms without authorization or regard for copyright law. Artists, writers, and creators of all kinds are banding together with a simple message: Stealing our work is not innovation. It's not progress. It's theft – plain and simple."

​The campaign, titled Stealing Isn't Innovation, has been backed by the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Olivia Munn, R.E.M, Paul Feig, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, The Roots, and so many more. The project comes from the Human Artistry Campaign, a global collective of over 180 groups that support the use of "responsible, ethical AI." Many actors have fallen victim to deepfakes, which are the most realistic they have ever been thanks to AI, while others have straight out had their work stolen. In 2024, OpenAI used Johansson's voice from Spike Jonze's Her, a romantic drama about a computer companion, for a GPT-40 chatbot.

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The statement continues: "A better way exists – through licensing deals and partnerships, some AI companies have taken the responsible, ethical route to obtaining the content and materials they wish to use. It is possible to have it all. We can have advanced, rapidly developing AI and ensure creators' rights are respected."

We also can't forget about Tilly Noorwood, the entirely AI-generated actor who made headlines last year after it was reported that agencies were interested in representing her. It's worth noting that Tilly is the product of feeding thousands of female actors into AI, making her the product of stolen content. With the way things are going, however, she might actually win an Oscar someday.

For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2026 and beyond.

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Lauren MiliciSocial Links NavigationSenior Entertainment Writer

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

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Logout Read more Breaking Bad creator's new sci-fi show Pluribus has a "made by humans" disclaimer because Vince Gilligan can't stand AI: "AI is the world's most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine"    Benedict Cumberbatch says he feels "pretty depressed" about AI in the film industry and thinks we're "vanilla-fying" the "thing that makes us human"    James Cameron says he's "not negative" about generative AI, but reassures fans it won't be used on any Avatar movies: "It's the existential threat from big AI that worries me more than all that stuff"    Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 star Jennifer English says "mistakes are beautiful," so "use your beautiful, creative, human brains" and not AI    Disney and OpenAI make a deal that will allow users to generate videos of Darth Vader, Mickey Mouse, Deadpool, and more    Japanese content trade group whose membership includes Studio Ghibli calls for its work to stop being used to train AI without permission    Latest in Drama Movies Warner Bros. chiefs say Tom Cruise is "extraordinary" in his next movie: "Like nothing you've ever seen"    Emma Thompson reveals that one of Alan Rickman’s best performances created the biggest issues in his career    After promoting Oscar favorite Hamnet, Paul Mescal wants to take a break until his 2028 Beatles movies    2026 may be the year of Marvel blockbusters, but I can't wait for these 6 movies that might not be on your watchlist yet    Timothée Chalamet achieves greatness with Marty Supreme – a frantic New York odyssey wrapped up in a ping pong movie    Timothée Chalamet on dreaming big and his “vastly different” roles in Marty Supreme and Dune: Part 3    Latest in News World of Warcraft director says the MMO's addon changes have been a long time coming, but better late than never    Fallout lead says "spaghetti code" has nothing to do with being "lazy" – it happens when devs aren't given enough time    13 years after the last installment, Madoka Magica 4 has been delayed once again    As Beyond Good and Evil fans enter their 18th year of hell, Ubisoft somehow insists the sequel is still in development    Kingdom Come: Deliverance's crime system couldn't be historically accurate because it would be "too harsh" on Henry    Highguard will hold a launch showcase next week after 43 days of silence following odd Game Awards reveal    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

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