A coalition of prominent publishers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Technology News‘s parent company, Vox Media, has launched an advertisement campaign this week advocating for government protection of published content against artificial intelligence (AI) misuse. This initiative, titled Support Responsible AI, is orchestrated by the News/Media Alliance trade association, featuring several ads across both print and digital platforms.
The advertisements utilize compelling slogans such as “Keep Watch On AI,” “Stop AI Theft,” and “AI Steals From You Too,” with the footer text reading: “Stealing is un-American. Tell Washington to make Big Tech pay for the content it takes.” This campaign follows recent correspondence from OpenAI and Google to the government, where they petitioned for permission to train AI models using copyrighted materials.
The advertisements feature a QR code and a linked site that directs users to the Support Responsible AI webpage. Here, individuals are encouraged to reach out to their representatives, advocating for fair compensation for writers, artists, and journalists in the tech industry. The campaign also emphasizes the importance of mandating attribution in AI-generated works.
Danielle Coffey, the President and CEO of the News/Media Alliance, stated in a press release, “Currently, Big Tech and AI companies are exploiting publishers’ content without permission or compensation, using it to fuel AI products that divert advertising and subscription revenue from the original creators.” She added, “The news media industry does not oppose AI; many entities are actively using AI tools. Our goal is to establish a balanced ecosystem where AI operates responsibly.”
In February, a similar campaign was launched in the UK, where numerous newspapers featured “MAKE IT FAIR” on their covers. This initiative aimed to increase awareness about safeguarding against AI accessing copyrighted content. Other contributors to the Support Responsible AI campaign include The Atlantic, Seattle Times, Tampa Bay Times, Wired publisher Condé Nast, and Politico owner Axel Springer.
