AI Use and Copyright
Understanding AI and Copyright
When creating content, copyright law protects original works of authorship, granting exclusive rights to the creator. However, the US Copyright Office has stated that copyright protection is only available for works created by human authors. This means that content generated by artificial intelligence, which lacks human authorship, is not eligible for copyright protection.
Implications for Using AI in Creative Work
- Human Creativity vs. Machine Output: Copyright is designed to protect the expression of ideas that result from human creativity. Since AI-generated materials are produced without human input, they fall outside the realm of copyright protection.
- AI’s Role in Content Creation: If a significant portion of a work is generated by AI, it reduces the amount of human authorship in the final product. As a result, the copyrightable content decreases.
- Blending Human and AI Contributions: While you can hold copyright over the human-created portions of a work, the parts generated by AI won’t be protected. The more you rely on AI, the more the work may shift from being a copyrightable piece to a non-protectable one.
- Practical Considerations: If you use AI to generate ideas or drafts, ensure that a substantial amount of original, human-created content is incorporated to maintain copyright eligibility.
Conclusion
In summary, the phrase “the more AI you use, the less copyright you have” reflects the fact that relying heavily on AI-generated content diminishes the amount of human authorship. This, in turn, limits the work’s eligibility for copyright protection under current US law. To maintain copyright over your creations, emphasize human creativity and authorship in the final product.
AI Use Acknowledgement
You can copy, modify, distribute, and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.
