It's hard to argue that AI companies aren't making use of copyrighted images to operate a business generating vast quantities of unlicensed derivative images that are often very close to the originals.
And, on the other hand, it also seems very plausible that systems like Midjourney have substantial non-infringing uses, generating images which are different enough from the original source material.
But I can't escape the feeling that regardless of how this case is resolved, all of us (not to mention independent artists whose work is also part of the training data) will end up losing.
> Disney and Universal Sue AI Company Midjourney for Copyright Infringement
Nail them. Where are RIAA and MPAA now ? When it comes to individuals, they scream bloody murder but, when it comes to AI companies - no problem.
If nothing else, I hope AI finally forces a re-evaluation of copyright and patent law. They're supposed to exist to make it possible for a small company or an individual to innovate and be able to compete with massive corporations.
Instead, they've become a brutal sledgehammer in which massive companies and rights holders can entrench their dominance and enrich themselves forever in a way that a smaller entity has almost no hope of competing with.