US Court Rules AI-Generated Artwork Can’t Be Copyrighted

Judge Says Copyright Law Requires Human Authorship

A US court has ruled that AI-generated artwork cannot be copyrighted. The ruling was made by US District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell in a lawsuit filed by Stephen Thaler, who had created an AI algorithm called the Creativity Machine. Thaler had applied for a copyright for an image generated by the algorithm. Still, the US Copyright Office refused the application, saying that the image was not the product of human authorship.

The court agreed with the Copyright Office, saying that copyright law requires that a human being create a work. The court said that the Creativity Machine is simply a tool that can be used to create images, but it does not create the images.

The ruling is a significant setback for Thaler, who had hoped to copyright the images generated by the Creativity Machine. However, the ruling could also have implications for the broader field of AI-generated art. If AI-generated art cannot be copyrighted, then it could be more easily copied and used by others without permission.

The ruling is also likely to be appealed, and how other courts interpret it remains to be seen. However, the ruling is a sign that the law needs help to keep up with the rapid advances in AI. As AI becomes more sophisticated, the law will likely need to be updated to reflect the new realities of the creative process.