Midjourney Copyright Law: What AI Artists Need to Know

The video discusses the legal challenges faced by AI art generators like Midjourney, as artists band together to sue over copyright infringement. The controversy stems from the use of thousands of artists' works to train AI systems without their consent, as evidenced by a leaked list. The video explores the implications of this for the future of AI art, including the potential for AI to create derivative works that are difficult to trace back to their original sources. It also touches on the broader debate about the role of imitation in creativity and the evolving nature of artistic skills in the digital age. The speaker suggests that rather than resisting AI, artists should embrace the technology and find ways to integrate it into their creative processes.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Artists are suing AI art generators like Midjourney for using their works without consent, leading to a major legal battle.
• 📉 A leaked list reveals 4,000 artists' names used to train Midjourney, sparking outrage among the artistic community.
• 🎨 The manipulation of AI to generate art raises questions about the originality and copyright laws, as developers discuss 'laundering' data to obscure sources.
• 🚫 Midjourney's ability to produce imitations and train on these, rather than the original artworks, complicates the tracing of derivative works.
• 🏆 AI-generated art has won competitions, showing the evolving capability and acceptance of AI in creative fields.
• 📘 Beyond visual art, AI's influence extends to literature, with a Japanese literature prize awarded to a book partly written by ChatGPT.
• 📚 The debate on AI's creative role is intensified by famous quotes on imitation and creativity by Salvador Dali and Mark Twain.
• 🖥 Technology’s rapid evolution pressures artists to adapt and find new roles, amidst a landscape increasingly dominated by digital and AI tools.
• ⚖️ The ongoing legal challenges by artists against AI companies aim to redefine the value and protection of artistic creations in the AI era.
• 📅 The outcomes of these lawsuits could reshape the future of copyright law, AI development, and the overall landscape of creative professions.

Q & A

What is the main issue that artists are rallying against in regards to AI art generators like Midjourney?

Artists are rallying against AI art generators because they believe these tools are using their work without permission to train AI algorithms, leading to potential copyright infringement and devaluing of their original creations.

What was the significance of the list leaked by John Lam, an artist at Riot Games?

The list leaked by John Lam is significant because it contains the names of over 4,000 artists whose work was allegedly used to train the Midjourney AI without their consent, which is a central point in the ongoing legal disputes.

What does the term 'laundering' refer to in the context of AI art algorithms?

In the context of AI art algorithms, 'laundering' refers to the process of using a fine-tuned codex to make it difficult to trace derivative works, thereby obscuring the original sources of the data used to train the AI.

Why is the debate around AI-generated art complex?

The debate is complex because it involves legal, ethical, and philosophical questions about the nature of creativity, the rights of artists, the capabilities of AI, and the potential economic and societal impacts of generative AI technologies.

What is the potential implication of AI-generated art on the job market?

A recent study suggests that more than 40% of jobs could be impacted by the development of generative AI, indicating a broad and potentially disruptive influence on various sectors and professions.

How does the speaker suggest artists should approach the rise of AI in art?

The speaker suggests that instead of resisting the technology, artists should embrace it, adapt their skills, and find ways to integrate AI into their creative processes to stay relevant and competitive in the evolving art landscape.

What is the current legal situation regarding the use of copyrighted material to train AI systems?

There are ongoing legal proceedings in the US courts, with tech firms like Midjourney, Stability AI, Runway, and DeviantArt facing class action lawsuits. The outcome of these cases could set precedents for the use of copyrighted material in AI training.

What does the phrase 'derivative work' mean in the context of copyright law?

A 'derivative work' refers to a new work that is based on or incorporates elements from one or more existing works, which could potentially infringe on the original copyright if not done with permission or under specific legal exceptions.

Why is the speaker critical of the term 'creative act' when referring to AI art generation?

The speaker is critical because they believe that the act of prompting an AI to generate art does not constitute a true creative process, as the AI is merely replicating styles and elements from existing works without the intent or originality of human creativity.

How does the speaker describe the evolution of skills and technology in the context of art and design?

The speaker describes it as a process of adaptation and evolution, where artists and designers must continually learn new skills and recognize valuable trends to stay ahead. They highlight the importance of adaptability, the ability to synthesize knowledge from different disciplines, and the application of these skills in creative ways.

What is the role of 'taste' in the context of AI art generation?

Taste plays a crucial role in the curation and refinement of AI-generated art. While the AI can produce a vast number of images, it is the human's sense of taste and aesthetic judgment that allows them to select, combine, and further develop these images into meaningful and emotionally resonant works of art.

Outlines

00:00

😀 AI Art Controversy: The Midjourney Lawsuit

The video discusses the ongoing legal battle between artists and AI art generators like Midjourney. A list of artists used to train Midjourney has been leaked, causing significant controversy. The video explores the implications of this event on the future of AI art, including the views of various artists and the potential legal challenges. It also touches on the concept of 'laundering' artist styles through AI to avoid copyright issues and the broader debate on imitation in art.

05:00

📚 The Provenance of AI-Generated Works

This paragraph delves into the complexities of proving the origin of artistic works in the age of AI. It raises questions about how much of a work is created by AI versus a human and the difficulty in defining this distinction. The paragraph also mentions legal proceedings against AI art generators and the artists' argument that these technologies exploit their work without proper compensation. It includes quotes from famous artists and thinkers on the nature of imitation and creation, and the speaker's personal experience with AI and digital art.

10:01

💡 Embracing AI in Artistic Creation

The speaker reflects on the strategic importance of digital design in their career and how the demand for UI/UX designers has evolved over time. They discuss the importance of adaptability and the ability to synthesize knowledge from different disciplines. The paragraph highlights how artists like Sarah Shaquille have embraced AI technology to create and sell more works. It also addresses the broader societal and technological evolution, suggesting that resisting AI is futile and that artists should instead find ways to integrate it into their creative processes.

15:03

🤝 The Future of Copyright and AI

The final paragraph addresses the potential need to reconsider copyright laws in light of AI's rapid development. It mentions OpenAI's call for copyright exemptions to support the development of AI like ChatGBT, which faces its own legal challenges. The speaker ponders whether society is willing to give up some copyright rights for the sake of technological progress and suggests that the definition of what is considered human is becoming less clear. The paragraph concludes with a promotion for Skillshare, an online learning platform, and an encouragement for viewers to invest in their own education.

Keywords

Midjourney

Midjourney is an AI art generator that has been at the center of controversy due to its use of artists' works to train its algorithms without their consent. The video discusses the legal and ethical implications of this practice, particularly in the context of copyright law.

Copyright Law

Copyright law is a legal framework that grants creators exclusive rights to their artistic works, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display those works. The video explores the potential violation of these rights by AI art generators like Midjourney, which use artists' works to train their algorithms.

AI Art Generators

AI art generators are software applications that use artificial intelligence to create art. They have sparked debate over the originality and ethical considerations of AI-created art, especially when the AI is trained on existing works of human artists.

Derivative Work

A derivative work is a new work that is based on or incorporates elements from an existing work. The video discusses the difficulty in determining what constitutes a derivative work in the context of AI art, where the AI can create imitations of an artist's work and then train on those imitations.

Laundering

In the context of the video, 'laundering' refers to the process of obscuring the origins of data used to train AI algorithms, making it difficult to trace back to the original artists whose works were used without permission. This concept is central to the legal debate over AI art generators.

Class Action Lawsuit

A class action lawsuit is a type of legal action in which a large group of individuals with similar claims against a defendant is represented collectively in court. The video mentions that artists are bringing a class action lawsuit against companies like Midjourney, Stability AI, Runway, and DeviantArt.

Imitation

Imitation is the act of copying or emulating the characteristics of another. The video discusses the role of imitation in the creative process and how AI art generators use it to generate new works based on existing art.

Provenance

Provenance refers to the origin or source of a work of art. The video highlights the challenges in proving the provenance of AI-generated works, as it becomes difficult to distinguish between human-created art and AI-generated art.

Generative AI

Generative AI refers to AI systems that can create new content, such as images, text, or music, rather than just analyzing existing content. The video touches on the potential impact of generative AI on various industries and the workforce.

Adaptability

Adaptability is the ability to adjust to new conditions or environments. The video emphasizes the importance of adaptability in the context of rapidly evolving technology and its impact on the art industry and job market.

Skillshare

Skillshare is mentioned in the video as an online learning platform offering courses in various fields, including design and entrepreneurship. It is presented as a resource for individuals to invest in their own education and adapt to changes brought about by AI and technology.

Highlights

Thousands of artists are uniting to sue AI art generators like Midjourney over copyright infringement.

A secret list of artists used to train Midjourney has been leaked, causing controversy.

Riot Games artist John Lam released evidence of Midjourney's training process, including 4,000 artist names.

Midjourney's CEO, David Holtz, acknowledged the use of artist names in training the AI.

The leaked conversations suggest Midjourney developers discussed 'laundering' artist styles.

AI art algorithms can create imitation works and self-train, complicating copyright derivative work tracing.

Artists are taking legal action against AI art generators in multiple countries.

The legal resolution process may take years, potentially too late for affected artists.

A leaked list of over 4,000 artists is available online, including famous names like Pablo Picasso.

Midjourney-generated art won an art fair at the Colorado State Competition, sparking cultural debate.

An AI-generated photograph won a photography competition, raising questions about AI's role in art creation.

A Japanese literature prize was awarded to a book partially written by AI, blurring the lines of authorship.

US tech firms face a lawsuit deadline regarding AI art generators, with artists arguing these tools devalue their work.

Artists like Salvador Dali and Mark Twain have historically commented on the importance of imitation in creation.

The speaker discusses their own artwork being used in AI training datasets without consent.

Adaptability and the ability to synthesize knowledge from different disciplines are key skills in the evolving art industry.

Artist Sarah Shaquille has successfully embraced AI technology to create and sell her digital art.

The development of AI is seen as an inevitable part of human and technological evolution.

OpenAI is advocating for copyright exemptions to advance AI development, facing its own legal challenges.

The future of AI may require reevaluating existing copyright laws to foster technological and economic progress.