Natasha Lyonne used her platform at the TIME100 AI Impact Dinner on Monday to urge technology leaders to take urgent action in controlling artificial intelligence. Highlighting her ongoing concerns, Lyonne emphasized the need for responsible regulation as AI’s influence expands across industries.
Lyonne Revisits Early Warnings on AI Risks
Earlier this year, Lyonne faced criticism for her plan to incorporate AI into her film Uncanny Valley. At the dinner, she reminded attendees that she had raised alarms about AI’s dangers years before, although her warnings were dismissed at that time. Reflecting candidly, she admitted her own initial reliance on AI technologies.
I fully went down the rabbit hole with you all,
Lyonne said.
I co-founded a studio with brilliant filmmakers and engineers, and we had the profound distinction of the first underlying licensed model of which I am deeply proud. I also had front seat access to the wider world of this wild west. And I’m not talking Tinsel Town and movies. I mean the real world. And boy, do I gotta say, I am quite shocked by the accelerated pace of our current situation.
Concerns Over Privacy and Data Exploitation
Lyonne expressed alarm over the societal and environmental consequences tied to the current AI trajectory. She criticized the pervasive surveillance environment, erosion of copyright protections, and rampant data harvesting communities often overlooked and vulnerable. This rapid expansion, she argued, threatens social and environmental well-being.
For reasons unknown, we have willingly submitted to a full surveillance state, done away with all copyright law, agreed to data theft for illusory convenience, and, perhaps most egregiously, allowed for sweeping and irresponsible data farming in our working class communities — a clear and present danger to our environment and society. What are we doing, friends?
A Call for Tech Leadership to Embrace Responsibility
Referencing the famous phrase that
“with great power comes great responsibility,”
Lyonne challenged tech executives to seriously reconsider their role in shaping AI’s future. She called for uniting around common humanity and finding grace amid challenges, even amid skepticism about the current political and economic climate.
I believe we can wrestle some grace back here if we get unified around our shared humanity,
she said.
An optimist? In this economy? In this regime? And yet, here I stand humbly before you wanting to believe.
Lyonne stressed that it was not too late to change course, urging AI leaders to reassess regulation policies with greater responsibility to prevent further harm.
Industry Backlash to AI’s Impact on Creative Rights
Lyonne’s remarks arrive amid intensifying disputes in Hollywood regarding AI’s use of copyrighted materials, notably after the launch of OpenAI’s Sora 2 application. While CEO Sam Altman promised enhanced control for rightsholders, many industry groups, including SAG-AFTRA and the Motion Picture Association, have criticized the app’s opt-out model as inadequate.
On Thursday, SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin and National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland warned that this opt-out policy threatens the economic foundation of creative industries.
Opt-out isn’t consent — let alone informed consent,
they declared.
That’s why SAG-AFTRA fights for opt-in approaches. No one’s creative work, image, likeness or voice should be used without affirmative, informed consent. Anything less is an unjustifiable violation of our rights.
The Push for Ethical AI Governance Moving Forward
Natasha Lyonne’s appeal highlights the urgent need for stricter AI governance as the technology becomes increasingly woven into everyday life and industries, from entertainment to data management. Her call for reckoning with AI’s ethical dilemmas underscores broader demands from rightsholders and industry leaders for transparent, fair policies that protect creators and consumers alike.
As AI continues evolving, the pressure mounts on tech leaders to balance innovation with responsibility, ensuring that future developments align with societal values and respect for individual rights.
