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

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.

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.