A coalition of over 11,500 creative professionals, including prominent figures like Björn Ulvaeus, Julianne Moore, and Thom Yorke, has issued a statement condemning the unlicensed use of their works to train generative AI models. They assert that this practice poses a 'major, unjust threat' to their livelihoods and violates copyright laws. The statement highlights ongoing legal disputes between artists and tech companies over intellectual property rights, emphasizing that creatives are not being compensated for their contributions. Ed Newton-Rex, a former AI executive and organizer of the letter, stressed that generative AI firms are expected to pay for human resources and computing power, yet seek to acquire training data for free. He criticized the terminology used by AI companies, arguing it dehumanizes the creative work involved. The statement aims to raise awareness and push for stronger copyright protections in the face of rapid advancements in AI technology.