Should AI-generated art have copyright protection? U.S. Copyright Office may soon decide #AiArt
A twice-weekly, curated roundup of the most interesting stories in the world of AI-generated art.
AI-generated comic book could lose its copyright protection
What happened: The U.S. Copyright Office has informed the creator of the comic book, Zarya of the Dawn, that they could lose their copyright protection because they used AI-generated art to illustrate their book – something the agency says it mistakenly overlooked when it granted New York-based photographer and UX designer Kris Kashtanova a copyright registration in September.
However, Kashtanova was open about how they created the book, even crediting Midjourney on the cover page.
Some media outlets reported this week that the Copyright Office had reversed its decision to give Kashtanova’s comic book copyright protection. But Kashtanova writing on their Facebook page and on Instagram has been emphatic that their copyright is still in force. Kashtanova has said that their attorneys were given a chance to submit reasons that the copyright registration should remain in effect and while that review is underway, the copyright protection remains. Their response was submitted on Nov. 21, according to a screenshot Kashtanova posted.
Why it matters: The U.S. Copyright Office has previously denied copyright protection for AI-generated art. That’s why Kashtanova receiving it for Zarya of the Dawn was a significant victory for AI-artists.
The backlash: With AI-art in the spotlight and with artists protesting the ethics of it, Kashtanova found themself a target this week from internet trolls, while also receiving an outpouring of support from followers.
“The amount of love and support I received yesterday and today in the morning moved me. Messages, audio recordings, and even someone baking minced pie and planning on sending it via mail. The power of our AI community is nothing I experienced before.” ~ Kris Kashtanova, from Facebook
For discussion
Artists Stage Mass Online Protest Against AI Image Generators, Peta Pixel, Pesala Bandara
People Are Not Happy That the SF Ballet Used AI-Generated Art To Promote ‘The Nutcracker’ - The San Francisco Standard, Olivia Cruz Mayeda
Op-Ed: Beware a world where artists are replaced by robots. It’s starting now - L.A. Times, Molly Crabapple
Midjourney Founder Admits to Using a ‘Hundred Million’ Images Without Consent - Peta Pixel, Matt Growcoot
Kickstarter shut down the campaign for AI porn group Unstable Diffusion amid changing guidelines, TechCrunch, Amanda Silberling
Are the Trump NFT Trading Cards Full of Unauthorized Images? - New York Magazine, Margaret Hartmann
Lensa’s viral AI art creations were bound to hypersexualize users - Polygon, Nicole Clark
Just for Kicks
ChatGPT AI generated art critic, Arts Hub, Gina Fairley
From Slashdot: Throughout December, a social media user known as Stelfie the Time Traveller has been crafting a time-hopping travelogue using generative AI.
Tech
Here’s what sound looks like, according to artificial intelligence, Fast Company, Jesus Diaz
OpenAI releases Point-E, an AI that generates 3D models, TechCrunch, Kyle Wiggers
8 Best Resources to Learn About Diffusion Models, AIM, Mohit Pandey
NFTs and Digital Art
The Innovators: Art Blocks CEO Erick Calderon on Crypto Speculation, the Bear Market, and Building His Kids’ Future on the Blockchain - artnet, Zachary Small
Ancient Aliens vs Predator Movie: Midjourney Has Created Beautiful Concept Art - Fortress, Megan Oosthuizen
Amazon's new series 'NFTMe' explores NFT culture and disruption worldwide, CoinTelegraph, Ana Paula Pereira