Kris Kashtanova, a graphic artist, received the first known U.S. copyright registration for artificial intelligence (AI) generated artwork last year.
However, the U.S. Copyright Office has since reconsidered this decision, cancelling the copyright protection for individual AI-generated images. The Copyright Office cited cases where individuals were unable to copyright words or songs that listed “non-human spiritual beings” or the “Holy Spirit” as the author, as well as the selfie taken by a monkey.
Kashtanova is disappointed by this decision but believes she can still prove that the AI-generated images are a direct expression of her creativity and therefore copyrightable. The Copyright Office has allowed copyright protection for the story and the way the images are arranged, which Kashtanova believes is “great news” for people in the AI art community.
