How Creators and Creative Industries Are Pushing Back Against AI Theft
Since the surge in generative AI technologies, almost every kind of creator and creative sector imaginable have protested the mass theft and ethical concerns arising from how these technologies have been developed, resulting in numerous AI and pro-copyright/IP campaigns. These campaigns call on policymakers, politicians, and the creative community to take action to ensure that artists’ works are licensed and that they are compensated before AI companies use them and respect the foundational copyright law frameworks that drive human-centric creativity and innovation.
In this blog, we’ll highlight some of the most notable AI-related campaigns launched by creators and creative industries.
Silent Albums and Empty Books in the UK
In late 2024, the UK Government proposed changing copyright law that would essentially favor AI companies by allowing them to build their AI models using other people’s copyrighted works for free. This proposal received tremendous backlash from the creative community, which sparked the creative community in the UK to undertake two incredibly successful campaigns in the music and publishing industries, resulting in the UK Government finally backing down from the proposal in March of this year.
A Silent Album
Is This What We Want? is a protest album, organized by British composer and former AI executive Ed Newton-Rex, which was launched in February 2025 and features more than 1,000 UK musicians. The catch is that the album is completely silent. The album consists of 12 songs of eerie recordings of largely static noises from empty studios and performance spaces to represent what these creative spaces would become if the UK Government’s proposal was passed into law. When you read the track titles together, it forms a sentence that reads “The British government must not legalize music theft to benefit AI companies.”
The Silent Album provides powerful commentary on the existential threats of such laws and policies to creators but also to music and the arts in general and pushes people to wrestle with the rhetorical question and the deeply harmful impacts short-sighted government actions can create. The purpose is to give everyone a glimpse into the future of the music industry if there are copyright exceptions made for AI developers.
At its peak, the digital release reached no. 38 on the UK album charts in 2025, which is what inspired the project to include a bonus track to raise more money for the charity Help Musicians, an organization that supports musicians in need. Notable musicians who have participated in the album campaign include Kate Bush, The Clash, Imogen Heap, Hans Zimmer, and a bonus track by Paul McCartney.
The success of the silent album has caused Newton-Rex’s newest campaign, the ‘empty’ book, to gain a second wave of massive attention for AI copyright issues.
An Empty Book
In March 2026, a book titled Don’t Steal This Book was published. This campaign was similar to the Silent Album, but instead of music, it was books. With Ed Newton-Rex once again leading the charge, 10,000 writers published a book together that was completely empty.
The empty book campaign is another effort to protest AI firms that are choosing to user works without permission from the creators. By Newton-Rex expanding his protest to include authors (on top of musicians), he’s showing that the issue impacts a breadth of creators.
To make sure their primary message gets across, the book’s back cover stated that “The UK government must not legalise book theft to benefit AI companies.” The books campaign once again put significant pressure on the UK Government to protect the rights of authors and other creators everywhere.
A slew of authors put their name to the cause including Kazuo Ishiguro, Philippa Gregory, Richard Osman, Malorie Blackman, and more. Blackman stated in an interview with The Guardian that “It’s not in any way unreasonable to expect AI companies to pay for the use of authors’ books.”
The impact of both the Silent Album and the Empty Book campaign has been monumental. The UK government has since backtracked on their position. They now have stated that they want to take their time to get it right and that they do not have a firm position on it anymore.
Make It FAIr Campaign
The music and publishing industries weren’t the only ones that were protesting the UK Government’s plans to undermine copyright. Coinciding with the launch of the silent album, the UK’s News Media Association launched a concerted campaign across UK’s creative industries named the Make it FAIr campaign, calling out the UK Government for proposing legislation that heavily favors big tech and threatens the livelihoods of creators and creative organizations. This campaign specifically highlights the inherently unfair and harmful nature of the UK Government’s proposal for the creative community and directly calls on supporters to write to Members of Parliament to “ensure creatives are rewarded properly so as to ensure a sustainable future for AI and the creative industries.”
Further, the campaign involved more than just emailing Members of the UK Parliament; it was a movement that involved the entire publication industry working together. In February 2025, numerous large publications coordinated a front-page teal Make It FAIr cover that strived to raise concern over the impact of AI on the creative industries. The teal covers appeared the same day in the Daily Express, Daily Mail, The Mirror, the Daily Star, The i, The Sun, and The Times. They also timed it to appear on the last day of the UK Government’s consultation.
Then soon after, in March 2025, the Daily Mail reported that there was a large photobooth that featured a banner stating “Make It Fair: Don’t let AI steal our music” presented at the televised Brit Awards, which allowed celebrities to pose in front of it. Noteworthy artists, including Paloma Faith, Myles Smith, Lola Young, Rachel Chinouriri, FLO, and Nia Archives were seen taking photos in front of the banner.
The Make It FAIr campaign was publicly and proudly backed by the British Phonographic Institute (BPI), UK Music Chief Tom Kiehl, and co-founder of the pop group ABBA and president of CISAC Bjorn Ulvaeus. In February 2025, Dr. Jo Twist OBE, BPI CEO, stated,“ We stand behind today’s Make It Fair campaign, which calls on the government to protect human creativity in the age of generative AI.” This powerful and concerted campaign across creative industries greatly contributed to the UK Government backing down from its untenable proposal of undermining its creators and creative industries.
Creators Coalition on AI (CCAI)
The Creators Coalition on AI (CCAI) launched in December 2025 by 18 artist advocates, including Daniel Kwan, Jonathan Wang, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Natasha Lyonne. CCAI was launched to “serve as a central coordinating hub to upgrade our industry’s systems and institutions by convening in an industry-wide AI Advisory Committee to establish shared standards, definitions, and best practices as well as ethical and artistic protections for if and when AI is used.” They are looking to draw “a line between those who want to do this fast, and those who want to do this right.”
To achieve a common ground, the coalition has formed its ideals around four major pillars that they believe are most crucial when evolving with AI to ensure that practices remain protective and ethical. The pillars are:
- Transparency, consent and compensation for content and data.
- Job protection and transition plans.
- Guardrails against misuse and Deepfakes.
- Safeguarding humanity in the creative process.
This new but growing coalition has committed to remaining true to these pillars and using them as a guide for the future. It looks to work with AI instead of against it, but doing so requires following stricter guardrails than the U.S. has currently put into place.
CCAI has a petition where the public can pledge its support for ethical and responsible AI development. Supporters include a host of creators including Natalie Portman and Cate Blanchett, and is also supported by organizations such as Directors Guild of American (DGA), Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Writers Guild of American (WGA), and International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).
CCAI invites every individual and organization across all industries who share similar concerns for technology outpacing human safety to join them in working toward creating a more durable system for human and machines to coexist with one another.
In an interview with the LA Times, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, one of the organization’s founders, explained his initial reason for working to start CCAI and provided a glimpse into his long-term goals and initiatives with the organization. “We’re all frankly facing the same threat, not from Generative AI as a technology, but from the unethical business practices a lot of the big AI companies are guilty of … The idea is that through public pressure, through collective action, through potentially litigation and eventually legislation, creators have a lot of power if we come together.”
Human Artistry Campaign
The Human Artistry Campaign (HAC) was launched back in 2023 and is a movement that continues to emphasize that art must remain human-centricduring the age of AI. The value of human creativity and expression are key to a sustainable creative future. HAC, like many other progressive AI movements, is not advocating for the demolition of AI. Instead, it recognizes the limitless possibilities of growth that human-centric generative AI brings and lists seven fundamental principles that underscore the importance of this idea, which include:
- Technology has long empowered human expression, and AI will be no different
- Human created works will continue to play an essential role in our lives
- Use of copyrighted works, and the use of voices and likenesses of professional performers, requires authorization and free-market licensing from all rightsholders
- Governments should not create new copyright or other IP exemptions that allow AI developers to exploit creators without permission or compensation
- Copyright should only protect the unique value of human intellectual creativity
- Trustworthiness and transparency are essential to the success of AI and protection of creators
- Creators’ interests must be represented in policymaking
The Human Artistry Campaign (HAC) goes more in-depth about each principle on its website. Members of HAC are also actively speaking up in interviews about their principles and their purpose as a coalition.
In a 2023 article released by the Recording Academy, Government Affairs Manager Montana Miller said, “With AI developing at a rapid pace, what this technology means for the music community has emerged as a top issue amongst artists, songwriters, and studio professionals. To help outline some high-level principles, the Human Artistry Campaign is focused on ensuring the advancement of AI as it complements—not replaces—the artists and performers who have created the work we know and love.”
In addition to speaking up, current coalition members (including the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), SAG-AFTRA, the Recording Academy, SoundExchange, National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), and more) are actively conducting polls to support their claims. Their latest poll, which was conducted in December 2025, found that “92% of Americans want stronger protections for voice, likeness, and more,” and they also stated that market-based licensing is widely seen as a reasonable middle ground.
To further the cause, HAC also launched a petition based on its seven principles that supporters can sign onto. Additionally, they launched a new campaign titled Stealing Isn’t InnovAItion that continues to resonate throughout the creative industry.
Stealing Isn’t InnovAItion
A recent campaign launched by the Human Artistry Campaign (HAC), is the Stealing Isn’t InnovAItion campaign that states:
“Stealing our work isn’t innovation. It’s not progress. It’s theft—plain and simple.”
The campaign statement, which has well over 1000 signatures, pushes back on the idea that undermining copyright and creative rights equates to technology innovation, and that the better route is through licensing deals and partnerships. It’s entirely possible to have the best of both worlds, “advanced, rapidly developing AI and ensure creators’ rights are respected.”
On January 22, 2026, HAC released a press release about the campaign launch and their Senior Adviser Dr. Moiya MxTier stated that one of the important messages of the campaign is that “If we sacrifice America’s creators on the altar of AI, the result will be a world without original human creations – no news, no art, no films, no music, no videos. Only AI sameness and regurgitated slop created by machines at the expense of human-made work and humanity itself.”
The campaign statement is supported with numerous signatories including notable artists and creators such as Scarlett Johansson, Martina McBride, Douglas Preston, Kristen Bell, and R.E.M. It’s also gained the support of large organizations, such as The New York Times. Chairman of The New York Times AG Sulzberger pledged the paper’s support in an online press release by stating, “Today, we are supporting a public awareness campaign, along with creators across many industries, to fight the systematic theft of our work by AI companies.”
The Copyright Alliance CEO Keith Kupferschmid also spoke up about the campaign in his op-ed with IP Watchdog, stating that the “large-scale licensing of independently created works isn’t some new problem, and multiple practical, effective ways to handle it already exist. But none of those can even get off the ground in the context of AI until developers move past unreasonable, absolutist demands to use creative works without licensing or paying for them at all.”
No Artists, No Art Campaign
In February 2026, the Graphic Artists Guild (GAG) launched their No Artists, No Art campaign in response to many AI companies continuing to take creators works without the creators consent. This campaign emphasizes the need for stronger copyright protections for visual artists in the age of generative AI. GAG specifically mentions the following on their campaign page as essential requirements:
- Payment when artists’ work is used to train AI models.
- Consent & control over whether and how that work is used.
- Credit for the creators behind the images.
The Graphic Artist Guild further explains that without these essential copyright protections in place, our economy would suffer, visual artists would no longer be able to continue creating, our culture would diminish, and generative AI will decline. The reason generative AI will decline if nothing changes is because, according to GAG, “AI’s success actually depends on the health and well being of our creative community—it relies on our inspiration and mastery of craft to create derivative works. Simply put: without artists, AI cannot generate art.”
For this campaign, the Graphic Artists Guild (GAG) developed an awareness kit accessable to all creators and creator advocates to utilize as they see fit. This kit includes social media copy, graphics, and more, making it extremely easy to speak up on social using #NoArtistsNoArt or #NANA. They’ve also teamed up with the Copyright Alliance, to create a Take Action page, which allows creators to email their congressional members about the importance of defending creators rights. On the Take Action page, there’s an email template already drafted for you to utilize; however, everyone can customize it as they see fit. As of today, over 650 emails have been sent out, and that number is quickly growing!
In addition to the Copyright Alliance supporting the No Artists, No Art Campaign, other participating organizations include ASCRL, ASMP, Concept Art Association, NPPA, and TAA.
Strong IP, Strong AI, Strong U.S.
At the Copyright Alliance, our work aligns with all of these campaigns and initiatives as we continue to educate and advocate for robust copyright protections. One of our recent calls-to-action campaigns, Strong IP, Strong AI, Strong US, was designed to rally creators to protect American innovation and secure our country’s status as a global leader via protecting copyrighted works.
To do this, we created a form that allows supporters to directly send an email to elected officials to urge them to say “no” to legislation that enables AI companies to train on creator works without permission or compensation. This email can be edited, while aiming to make it as easy as possible to take action. The form is available on our Take Action page.
Since the launch of this campaign, we have recently updated the email so that even if you already sent a letter to your representative, we encourage you to send another and reflect the urgency that the artistic community is facing. So far, creators and creator advocates have sent more than 8,600 letters to numerous elected officials across the United States.
In his DC Journal op-ed, Kupferschmid stated that, “Over the decades, America’s core principle of strong creators’ rights has produced the world’s strongest and most dominant creative economy, as well as the world’s most innovative and effective high-tech economy. Strong IP doesn’t hold innovation back; it pushes innovation forward to greater heights. Strong IP isn’t the enemy of AI Innovation; it’s the backbone. Strong IP, Strong AI.”
Stay tuned for something BIG coming from the Copyright Alliance. We won’t be done until creators’ rights are fully respected and protected in the age of AI.
Conclusion
Other campaigns that have only recently surfaced include Say No to Suno, a call to action initiative to stop using Suno to steal from artists, and Protect Original Journalism, a new UK-based AI publishing rights coalition. As organizations and initiatives continue to form, it is crucial to continue educating those in and outside of the creative community on what resources are available and how to take action against the unlawful use of copyrighted works by AI companies.
As AI continues to evolve, it’s crucial that the integrity of our copyright systems and the creators and creative industries who rely on these systems are being protected and their rights are being upheld. The commonality among the many campaigns highlighted in this blog is that we are all in favor of one overarching goal: human creators and their rights must be protected and upheld in the midst of advancing technology. Through licensing, tech guard rails, and collaborative efforts, the creative community can remain strong and vibrant. And through these campaigns, everyone can help protect artistry and human creation.
If you aren’t already a member of the Copyright Alliance, you can join today by completing our Individual Creator Members membership form! Members gain access to monthly newsletters, educational webinars, and so much more — all for free!