The question of who owns the copyright when artwork is created entirely by artificial intelligence is a complex one, and the answer varies depending on the jurisdiction. In the United States, the US Copyright Office has ruled that AI-generated art cannot be copyrighted under US law, as it is not created by a human author. This means that AI-generated art is not eligible for copyright protection, and anyone can use or modify the art without infringing on any copyright.
In the European Union, the situation is similar. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has stated that AI-generated works are not eligible for copyright protection, as they are not created by a human author. However, the EUIPO has also noted that the use of AI in the creative process may still be protected by copyright if the human creator of the work can demonstrate that they have exercised creative freedom in the selection and arrangement of the AI-generated elements.
It's worth noting that the law surrounding AI-generated art is still evolving, and there may be future developments in this area. For example, some experts have argued that AI-generated art should be eligible for copyright protection, as it is often the result of significant human input and creativity in programming and training the AI algorithm. However, until the law changes, it seems that AI-generated art is not eligible for copyright protection in many countries.