Creative industry coalition challenges AI firms over proprietary data use and calls for licensing reforms

A coalition of high-profile creators, including Scarlett Johansson and Cate Blanchett, is pressing the AI industry to adopt licensing agreements and enforce protections for artists amid rising concerns over copyright infringement and misuse of personal likenesses.

Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, REM and Jodi Picoult are among roughly 800 creative professionals who have backed a new industry-wide statement accusing major AI companies of “theft” for using artists’ work without permission to train large models. According to The Guardian, the “Stealing Isn’t Innovation” campaign, launched on 22 January 2026, calls on technology firms to strike licensing deals and partnerships with the creative industries rather than relying on material scraped from the open web. (The statement reads: “Stealing our work is not innovation. It’s not progress. It’s theft – plain and simple.”)

Organisers say the drive is supported by a broad coalition of creative trade bodies, including the Writers Guild of America, the Recording Industry Association of America and SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union that staged a high-profile strike in 2023 partly over AI use. The campaign highlights that while some firms have pursued licences , OpenAI, for example, has announced agreements with Disney and The Guardian and parts of the music industry have negotiated deals with AI music generators , many creators contend that consent and payment have not been sought widely enough. According to the report by The Guardian, campaigners demand clearer licensing norms and enforcement.

The legal and ethical faultlines are well established. Industry data and reporting show that the large language and image models behind chatbots and generative tools are trained on vast datasets drawn from the open internet, a practice that creators argue infringes copyright unless permission is obtained. Tech companies have defended much of the practice as “fair use” under US law, a doctrine that permits some unauthorised uses of copyrighted material; dozens of lawsuits filed in the United States over the past year underscore how contested that defence remains. According to The Guardian, the litigation landscape has proliferated as creators seek redress.

The campaign places particular emphasis on the personal harms of unauthorised AI use, drawing on high-profile examples such as Scarlett Johansson’s own encounters with deepfake and voice-likeness controversies. Johansson was drawn into the debate after an AI app used her name and likeness in an online advertisement in 2023 and again when a voice in OpenAI’s GPT-4o release in 2024 was widely criticised as resembling her; The Guardian reported that OpenAI subsequently removed the voice. Coverage in Forbes and security analyses have also documented Johansson’s public calls for stronger regulation, including her plea for bans on malicious deepfakes after a viral AI ad in 2025, and industry reports noting she was among the most impersonated celebrities in AI-driven scams.

Supporters of the initiative argue the issue has policy as well as commercial dimensions. In the United Kingdom the government has faced criticism for drafting proposals that would permit AI firms to use copyrighted works unless creators explicitly “opt out”, prompting calls for a rethink and an official review announced for March. According to The Guardian, the campaign is intended both to press technology companies and to influence regulatory trajectories in markets where lawmakers are still weighing whether and how to require consent and payment.

The technology sector disputes a simple characterisation of current practice as theft. Some companies stress the social and research benefits of broad data access and point to existing licensing deals as evidence of engagement with rights-holders. Yet creators and unions say piecemeal agreements do not address the scale of data use and the absence of standardised compensation mechanisms. The campaign’s organisers are therefore calling for industry-wide standards and enforceable licensing regimes to ensure creators are both acknowledged and remunerated when their work contributes to model training. According to The Guardian, the statement specifically urges tech firms to pursue licensing deals and partnerships.

Whether this campaign shifts policy or commercial practice will depend on the outcomes of ongoing litigation, negotiations between rights-holders and tech firms, and the shape of imminent regulatory reviews. For now, the coalition’s broad roster of signatories , from Hollywood actors to bestselling authors and major bands , signals a coordinated escalation in pressure on the AI industry to move from contested reliance on publicly available material to transparent, licensed arrangements. According to reporting in The Guardian, campaigners say that approach would protect artists’ livelihoods while allowing innovation to proceed on a consensual basis.

Source Reference Map

Inspired by headline at: ^[1]

Sources by paragraph:

Source: Noah Wire Services

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score:
10

Notes:
The article is dated 22 January 2026, and no substantially similar content has been found published earlier. The campaign’s launch date aligns with the article’s publication, indicating freshness.

Quotes check

Score:
10

Notes:
Direct quotes from the campaign statement and individuals involved are consistent across multiple reputable sources, confirming their authenticity.

Source reliability

Score:
10

Notes:
The article is from The Guardian, a major and reputable news organisation, enhancing the credibility of the information presented.

Plausability check

Score:
10

Notes:
The claims about the ‘Stealing Isn’t Innovation’ campaign and the involvement of Scarlett Johansson and Cate Blanchett are corroborated by multiple reputable sources, including The Guardian and The Wrap. The details about the campaign’s objectives and the involvement of various creative professionals are consistent across these sources.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary:
The article provides a timely and accurate report on the ‘Stealing Isn’t Innovation’ campaign, with consistent and verifiable information from reputable sources, confirming its credibility.