U.S. Copyright Office rules AI-generated content without human input won’t be protected
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The United States Copyright Office has issued guidance stating that AI-generated content without human authorship will not be protected by U.S. copyright.
However, the document also clarifies that the level of creativity needed for a work to qualify for protection is “extremely low.”
“In most cases, however, humans will be involved in the creation process, and the work will be copyrightable to the extent that their contributions qualify as authorship,” the report explains.
“It is axiomatic that ideas or facts themselves are not protectable by copyright law, and the Supreme Court has made clear that originality is required, not just time and effort.”
“The vast majority of works make the grade quite easily, as they possess some creative spark, ‘no matter how crude, humble or obvious’ it might be,” the report continues.
A long way to go
This document is merely the start of a lengthy legal journey, with ongoing battles expected in the U.S. judicial system. It doesn’t address issues like whether AI models have unlawfully used artists’ content from the web, but the ruling will have significant implications moving forward.
The Trump administration also recently announced an executive order aimed at increasing government funding for AI technology, which would primarily benefit large tech companies, while individual creatives may not receive much support.
