U.S. Appeals Court Rules AI-Generated Works Cannot Be Copyrighted

The decision reaffirms human authorship as a requirement for copyright protection, leaving unresolved questions about AI-assisted creativity.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a ruling that works created solely by AI without human input cannot be copyrighted under U.S. law.
The case involved Stephen Thaler's AI system, Creativity Machine, which generated an artwork titled 'A Recent Entrance to Paradise.'
The court emphasized that the Copyright Act of 1976 requires human authorship for copyright eligibility, aligning with prior judicial precedent.
The decision acknowledged that works created with human assistance using AI may qualify for copyright, but no clear standard for human involvement was defined.
Stephen Thaler and his attorney plan to appeal the ruling, arguing it could discourage innovation and investment in AI-driven creative fields.