In the ever-evolving world of art and technology, a class-action lawsuit has been filed against Midjourney, the research lab behind the Stable Diffusion image-generation engine, and Stability AI, the creator of that engine. The lawsuit raises the question of whether AI-driven artwork is the new wave of pop art or simply perpetuating the themes of pop art itself.
Iconic artists like Andy Warhol have been brought into the case, sparking curiosity about what Warhol might say about this situation. Known for his mass-produced copies of others’ art, Warhol was no stranger to copyright lawsuits during and after his lifetime. He was not alone in this among his fellow “pop artists.” Roy Lichtenstein faced accusations of lifting works from struggling comic-book artists, and Shepard Fairey defended his copyright claim over a famous Barack Obama poster.
Now, these artists, along with thousands of others, find themselves in a Midjourney database that allegedly serves as the source material for its generative AI tool. The class action gained new momentum when plaintiffs filed documents showcasing the alleged illegal copying of their work, including a list of 20,000 artist names and styles that Midjourney could imitate.
The artists who initiated the lawsuit argue that rather than “learning” from billions of works, as promised by the generative AI creators, the technology is nothing more than a copy-and-paste machine, feeding off the work of others. They are seeking billions of dollars in compensation.
While the inclusion of artists’ names and styles on the list sparked shock and indignation within the creative community, legal experts emphasize that the key question is whether this copying falls under the fair use doctrine. According to Rebecca Tushnet, a First Amendment professor at Harvard Law School, the fair use doctrine allows for the quoting or copying of copyrighted material for purposes of commentary, criticism, or parody.
Furthermore, copyright law protects individual creations rather than specific artistic styles. This raises the intriguing issue that while Midjourney may be accused of copying, some of the prominent artists on its alleged copy list have themselves faced accusations of outright stealing work from others.
Amidst this backdrop, a question emerges: Is Midjourney’s AI-driven artwork truly the dawn of a new era in pop art, or is it merely replicating the themes of pop art by questioning the boundaries of creativity, originality, and copyright? Only time will reveal the answers in this complex and controversial intersection of art and technology.
The source of the article is from the blog girabetim.com.br