JCM 4/15/2026 10:16:20 AM

1

This monkey selfie will protect you from AI slop

What happens when something that isn't human makes art? A series of bizarre court battles trying to answer that question centred around this image. Ultimately, it will influence what ends up on your screens and headphones forever.

Current status comes down to this.

In March, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, preserving a lower court ruling in favour of the Copyright Office. If AI creates something, no one can own it. Not the AI, the company running the AI nor the person who used it.

The corollary I see has been long settled, I think, if I create something on company time, using company resources the company owns it.

If I build an AI own the AI, and it creates something shouldn't I own that output base on the above precedent?
It gets murkier if I use Google's AI and instruct it do something... that more akin to the company example... I think? Except Google isn't paying for the inputs like a company pays me to work. Is ownership then shared?

Occasional Reader 4/15/2026 1:38:05 PM

2

Happy Tax Day, y’all.

🤪