Getty Images, a widely popular stock photo company, has filed a lawsuit in London alleging that Stability AI unlawfully scrapped millions of images from its website to train artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms.
Stability AI is a generative AI company that creates works of art from photos and/or text provided by users. According to Getty Images, Stability AI took advantage of its extensive collection of images to build their algorithms without obtaining the necessary permission or paying any royalties. This has resulted in the widespread use of Getty Images’ copyrighted photos, affecting the company’s ability to monetise its content and damaging its reputation as a trusted source of visual content. Moreover, Getty Images has licensed its digital assets before to similar technology innovators for AI-related purposes.
Getty Images’ lawsuit highlights the growing issue of AI companies using copyrighted images for their training purposes, without respecting the rights of content owners. As AI technologies continue to advance, it is becoming increasingly important for companies like Getty Images to protect their rights and ensure that their work is not being exploited for commercial gain. This legal action serves as a wake-up call for AI companies that they cannot ignore the rights of content owners and must act responsibly when using images for their training purposes. Getty Images call for greater collaboration between AI companies and content owners is a crucial step towards finding a solution to this problem and ensuring that the rights of all parties are respected.
The outcome of this lawsuit will likely set a significant precedent for future disputes involving the use of copyrighted images for AI training purposes, as well as the general determination between AI firms and content creators for credit and profit. Similar proceedings against Stability AI by Getty Images have also been filed in the United States.
