AI-Created Works Get Copyright Green Light, Says The U.S. Copyright Office

The U.S. Copyright Office has clarified that artists can copyright works created with the assistance of artificial intelligence, as long as human creativity is evident in the final product.

This decision, outlined in a report released Wednesday, could influence how AI-generated content is treated in industries such as music, film, and publishing.

The office, which operates under the Library of Congress, processes around 500,000 copyright applications annually, increasingly including AI-generated works. While each case is assessed individually, the report affirms that copyright protection hinges on human authorship.

Shira Perlmutter, Register of Copyrights, emphasized that human creativity remains central to copyright eligibility. “Where that creativity is expressed through the use of AI systems, it continues to enjoy protection,” she stated, as reported by the AP.

The report explains that AI-assisted works may qualify for copyright if an artist’s contribution—such as modifying or arranging AI-generated content—demonstrates originality.

However, fully machine-generated works remain ineligible. Simply prompting an AI system to generate content does not grant copyright ownership. The report argues that extending protections to works where the expressive elements are determined by a machine would undermine copyright’s purpose, as reported by the AP.

The report follows a review launched in 2023, which gathered feedback from AI developers, artists, and other stakeholders. It does not address the ongoing controversy over AI companies using copyrighted material without permission to train their models, notes the AP.

Numerous lawsuits from artists, authors, and news organizations accuse AI firms of copyright infringement, a legal battle that remains unresolved.

While the Copyright Office does not rule on these disputes, it is preparing a separate report to examine issues related to AI training on copyrighted works, potential licensing frameworks, and liability concerns.