Tisha MorrisFounder & Principal Attorney, Legacy Arts Law PC · 🎬 Entertainment Attorney | Protecting & Empowering Filmmakers, Authors, Artists & Creators | Founder of Legacy Arts Law® | Legal Clarity for Creatives

AI and Hollywood

27 Mar 2025 · 3 min

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3:07

In this commentary, the speaker outlines the escalating conflict between major technology firms (e.g., OpenAI, Meta) and Hollywood creatives over the use of copyrighted works to train generative AI models. The discussion references a recent letter signed by roughly 400 prominent Hollywood creators sent to the White House, which argues for compensation for the use of their works. Meanwhile, tech companies assert that training AI on existing content falls under fair use, emphasizing the need to stay competitive with rivals like China’s DeepSeek. The speaker notes that dozens of court cases are currently pending on the fair‑use question. While acknowledging that studios will also benefit from AI tools and that the industry cannot revert to pre‑AI practices, the speaker proposes that tech firms should pay a blanket licensing fee to authors, screenwriters, and other creators whose material fuels AI systems. The overall tone is explanatory, concerned, and slightly critical of the perceived unfairness of the current trajectory, while recognizing the broader context of technological progress.

Chapters

AI in Hollywood. I'm going to simplify this as much as possible with where we are with things. Um, there is a big crescendo happening underway with tech and Hollywood. In this article from The Dailies— if you don't follow The Dailies, it's a great summation of all the entertainment industry news— um, they have set forth kind of both sides. There was a letter from 400 powerhouse Hollywood creatives a couple of weeks ago that went to the White House. Meanwhile, you have OpenAI, ChatGPT, all those big techs making a case that all the GenAI stuff is fair use. And meanwhile, people on the creative side, including myself, I just found out that for my books, were fed to the Meta, the Meta AI machine for free. Of course, they're vying for having a blanket license over basically everything that's being created. So it is a— meanwhile, there's 50, 60, 70 court cases pending over, over this fair use argument. Most likely what's going to happen is, so the White House received, is receiving basically letters and briefs putting forth their case. You know, the tech people are saying this is necessary to keep, you know, technology moving forward and also to compete with China's Deep Sea, Deep Seek. And this is why they need to basically use proper off of all the materials that's already been created, um, you know, it's— they're most likely going to win. And, uh, given the current administration, um, bent on things— and meanwhile you have Hollywood studios and execs that are also going to benefit off of using AI. Um, they're already, you know, way in the trenches with it. Not going to really be able to put the toothpaste back in the tube at this point. I, as a creative and someone who represents creatives, think that they should— that the tech companies should pay a blanket license fee for authors, for screenwriters, for all the creatives who have created this material that is now being used for free to go into these machines. So, you know, it's an interesting argument. Fair use— this is the reason we have fair use, to create, to use what's been already created in the world to create new creations. So, you know, I can see that, that side of the argument as well. But there just feels something a little unfair, unfair about it. And but this is, this is the times we live in, and, and we'll see how it turns out.