Panel Explores The Impact Of AI On Artists And Legal Challenges
A diverse group of artists and business leaders gathered on Friday for the “ARTificial Intelligence” panel discussion, focusing on how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming their professions and the associated legal implications.
Linda Calvin, Chief Impact Officer at Reboot Representation and Founder of Transcend Consulting, moderated the event. Calvin initiated the conversation by asking panelists about their perspectives on AI’s evolution over the next decade.
Angie Carel, a marketing consultant at Angie Carel Marketing, expressed hesitation about integrating AI into her creative workflow. “I’m reluctant to add AI to my workflow because the process I go through when creating is very valuable to me,” Carel explained. “I’m predicting a sort of evolution of people understanding why they create in the first place.”
Quincy Owens, an artist and owner of Quincy Owens Sculpture-Fabrication, highlighted the linguistic differences between traditional visual art and AI’s predominantly verbal and written nature. “We are going to have to think about language more than ever,” Owens stated, emphasizing the need for artists to adapt to AI’s communication methods.
The legitimacy of AI-generated art was a central topic of discussion. Shaunt’e Lewis, an Indianapolis artist, voiced concerns about the authenticity and effort behind AI creations. “I think that a lot of us true artists do get offended when we work so hard to get our artwork in the museums that we can’t get to. And AI-generated artists are coming up with these artworks that they just type in a few words, and it just generates it,” Lewis remarked. She also mentioned her use of ChatGPT for writing, noting that writers might feel similarly impacted by AI.
Owens acknowledged the creative potential of AI but cautioned against allowing AI to define the boundaries of art. “It’s at least a way to tap into some level of creative potential,” he said.
Addressing the legal aspects, Angela Freeman, Partner at Barnes and Thornburg LLP, discussed copyright issues related to AI-generated content. “Copyright law is one of the strongest rights you can have. It lives beyond the life of the artist,” Freeman stated, emphasizing that current copyright laws require a level of human creativity. She highlighted ongoing legal uncertainties, citing a recent California federal court case where visual artists sued Stability AI, Midjourney, DeviantArt, and Runway AI for copyright infringement. U.S. District Judge William Orrick denied a motion to dismiss, acknowledging the artists’ reasonable arguments that the companies violated their rights by illegally storing their works.
Freeman underscored the importance of copyright registration, which costs between and , and the need for legal clarity as AI technology advances. “There’s a whole lot of unknowns right now. There’s a whole lot of case law that hasn’t been judged yet that we don’t have holdings on, that’s going to define the course of the next year or five years,” she noted.
The panel also highlighted positive uses of AI in creative processes. Carel shared how her six-year-old son uses Midjourney to bring his imagination to life, enhancing his vocabulary and creativity. “His vocabulary has flourished because he’s been able to use his words to construct prompts in Midjourney to identify what’s in his imagination and make it a reality by generating images in Midjourney,” she said, giving the example of a translucent squid wearing sunglasses and orange neon boots.
The discussion concluded with a consensus that while AI offers new creative possibilities, it also raises significant questions about authenticity, creativity, and legal protections. As AI technology continues to evolve, the panel emphasized the importance of ongoing dialogue and legal developments to address these emerging challenges.
