Don’t expect to see stock photos of DALL-E and other AI imaging tools. Getty Images director Craig Peters said the edge in a statement that his company has banned AI-generated art because of the potential for copyright disputes. There are “unaddressed rights issues” with the technology, the CEO said, and this would help clients minimize risk to their finances and reputations.
Peters would not say whether Getty had already had legal problems with AI-generated content. He noted that there was an “extremely limited” amount of such material on the platform. The company is partnering with the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity to create filters for AI-produced material, asking users to flag anything they miss. Rivals like Shutterstock are already screening at least some images.
The movement is not shocking. While using AI to create an image isn’t necessarily illegal, generators frequently sample images that may be copyrighted. Getty and his clients could face legal repercussions for stealing artwork and profiting from it. There is also the potential for governments to enact laws and regulations that limit the use of technology.
There is no certainty that the ban will work well in practice. What the edge notes, it’s not hard to find AI-made images at Getty right now. However, we don’t want the company to change its tune unless it finds AI systems guaranteed to produce completely legal images.
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