Show business has some big worries about the high-tech future.
Eagle-eyed viewers of a new DreamWorks family film caught more evidence of how concerned the entertainment industry is about the rise of artificial intelligence.
And how adamant some filmmakers are about A.I.
The closing credits to the due-out-Friday “The Bad Guys 2” — an animated comedy about animal criminals trying to go straight — contain a no-kidding-around prohibition on any use of the work for A.I purposes.
‘THE BAD GUYS 2’ credits include a legal refusal for the film to be used to train AI programs.
“All rights in this work are reserved for purposes of laws in all jurisdictions pertaining to data ining or AI training, including but not limited to Article 4(3) of Directive (EU)… pic.twitter.com/aW0iZneRUD
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 30, 2025
“All rights in this work are reserved for purposes of laws in all jurisdictions pertaining to data ining or AI training, including but not limited to Article 4(3) of Directive (EU) 2019/790. This work may not be used to train AI,” the disclaimer stated flatly.
A writer at the entertainment-centric gaming website Games Radar applauded the move and highlighted a movie fan who spotted the notice and publicized it on the social media platform X. (The X post is here, but be prepared for some vulgar language.)
“This is a positive move in the right direction for animators and other creatives who work in the industry and face losing out on work opportunities due to A.I.,” wrote Game Radar’s Megan Garside.
“Other than using the tech to manipulate and duplicate already existing visual content, movies and TV shows have also been known to use A.I. to write scripts, translate subtitles.”
There’s no question A.I. has become a dominant concern in the entertainment world. Its use in producing scripts and other materials was one of the issues in the strike that paralyzed most movie production in 2023.
The notice in the credits of “The Bad Guys 2” — the kind of movie parents show kids to grab an entertaining couple of hours — is a reminder of how pervasive that concern is.
The move had some fans and some skeptics.
Creativity deserves protection, well done
— Dark Black (@xiaoheihei257) July 30, 2025
How long before AI starts ignoring these disclaimers too?????????????
— Sagar Mishra (@Sagarmishra121) July 30, 2025
As a piece published Wednesday by the gaming-entertainment website Kotaku noted, this isn’t DreamWorks’ first foray into the field against A.I.
The live-action version of the monster hit “How to Train Your Dragon” contained a similar declaration.
“I could be cynical and say this is just a big corporation protecting its IP from those who would choose to profit from it, but the idealist in me yells over the cynic and says this is a big win for human-made art,” author Kenneth Shepard wrote.
“If companies like DreamWorks are taking legal measures to ensure that their animated works are protected, hopefully that means those artists will be able to keep doing what they’re doing without fear of losing their jobs to programs that will make worse art for less money.”
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