The copyright ownership of AI-generated music or art is a complex and evolving issue. In general, under current copyright law, only human beings can be considered authors and therefore own the copyright to their creative works. However, as AI-generated art and music become more prevalent, there is ongoing debate about whether the copyright should belong to the person or entity that created the AI system, the person who input the data that the AI used to generate the work, or the AI itself.
In some cases, the issue of copyright ownership has been resolved through legal action. For example, in January 2023, a group of artists sued a London-based company that makes image-generating software, arguing that it infringed on their copyrights by using their work in training data and creating AI-generated images. Similarly, in December 2023, there were attempts to protect AI-generated material and human-generated works from being used in AI, which exposed serious issues in applying current law to generative AI.
As AI-generated art and music continue to evolve, it is likely that there will be ongoing debates and legal challenges surrounding the ownership and copyright of AI-generated content. It remains to be seen how the legal system will adapt to address these issues and determine who, if anyone, owns the copyright to material that is generated in whole or in part by AI.