The Easel

9th May 2023

Artists Are Suing Artificial Intelligence Companies and the Lawsuit Could Upend Legal Precedents Around Art

An essay from just 2014 that explains the long accepted role of appropriation in art now seems almost quaint. AI presents new and subtle challenges, most recently copying an artist’s style and using that to create new work. Is this fair? Style cannot be legally protected and there is a presumption that online content can be copied. Complains one digital artist “You develop this [visual] language … and then AI doesn’t just replace you but also muddies what you are trying to do.”