Intellectual Property and AI

One way I have found AI helpful in my own work is by having it create logos or images that I use when advertising an event, resource, or service.

Specifically, I used the image creation tool in Canva to design an image used to advertise a professional development workshop. This saved me a great deal of time, and was better than anything I could have created on my own.

When talking to others about AI, I have often shared this example and similar ones. Recently, though, I started thinking about trademark law in my use of AI. My work and use of AI has never been something that needs a trademark—if I had not created an image with AI, I likely would have used an image with a Creative Commons license. That said, as I speak with others about AI, it is increasingly important to bring up trademark law, just as I have done with copyright (you can read more about copyright and AI here).

I am not a lawyer and am not qualified to give legal advice, but I want to share resources with you that will help you think about intellectual property broadly with your use, and support, of AI.

United States Patent and Trademark Office AI Resources

United States Patent and Trademark Office Latest AI News

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) AI Resources

I hope you find these resources helpful, and I hope they spark additional research.

These resources highlight that just as with copyright law, images created by AI cannot be trademarked. The same intellectual property laws that apply to work created by humans are not applicable to AI-generated content. Therefore, it is important for individuals to think critically about when an AI-generated image is sufficient, and when humans should create images.

Additionally, you may need to have conversations with the legal team at your place of employment to decide how and when to use AI-generated work in advertisements or promotional material.

Somewhat related, I also want you to be aware that there are repositories of AI-generated images you can use—similar to sites with Creative Commons images or stock libraries. Two such repositories are Impossible Images and AI Scribbles.