Who owns what you make using AI tools?

Computer machine learning has been around for decades, but AI-powered tools and writing software have boomed since the announcement and release of ChatGPT in November 2022. As the algorithms that power AI tools find content, the LLMs (Large Language Models) become more intelligent by parsing and analyzing the data found, sounding more natural and lifelike with their output.

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AI and copyright law are some of the many thorny issues that have arisen from the popularity of tools such as ChatGPT. Since AI draws and paraphrases from multiple sources across the internet, the output can seem like plagiarism.

Copyright law and the creative process

The content that AI generates can range from written content like blog posts, AI art and graphic design, and automated programs. The scale of what AI can generate is virtually limitless: AI can generate entire books, graphic novels, or billboard-sized advertisements, which is where the issue of copyrights becomes more important.

According to recent interpretations of copyright law, only humans can be granted copyrights: if a work is entirely generated by AI, with no human input, then it cannot be claimed by anyone. This is because the human input of AI adds creative interpretation and contribution, which means that an individual has put their own mark on a work.

Andy Warhol famously printed silkscreen images of Campbell’s soup cans, while Roy Lichtenstein created large-scale interpretations of halftone comic strip panels. Both of these are based on existing works, but they also have been reinterpreted by artists, who have both imprinted their own personalities, values, and philosophies onto the artwork they created. This similar difference resides between a work that is “AI-assisted” versus “AI-generated.”

How to effectively use AI as a creative assistant

The simplest way to avoid copyright issues and intellectual property rights with AI-generated work is to treat these tools as an assistant instead of the creator of a finished product.AI-generated content can still bear many limitations that draw attention to its computer-generated status, such as sounding unnatural, flat, or with glaring errors or flaws.

Instead, use AI to outline and organize your projects. For example, if you’re writing a book, you can outline individual chapters and major plot points, then fill in the blanks yourself with your own creative content. That way, you can highlight your own voice and personality, while adding depth to your work.

If you’re a visual artist, you can use AI to generate ideas for your next major work, such as color palettes, perspective, and theme. You will save time and energy laying the foundations for your work while creating something you can still proudly call your own. It’s the best of both worlds.

Learn how to use AI effectively by cutting out writer’s block, generating recipe ideas, or even learning a new language.