There’s a really important AI lawsuit happening in the UK that we need to pay attention to.

So Getty Images is facing off against a tech company called Stability AI in the UK about the use of its images.

Getty owns millions of licensed pictures; you’ve probably seen celebrities credit them on social media. 

Stability AI created a tool called Stable Diffusion, which can create new pictures using a prompt. So like a picture version of ChatGPT, even though Stable Diffusion was technically launched before ChatGPT.

So, Getty is arguing that Stability AI used millions of its pictures without permission to train its AI. They even say that some of the pictures made by the AI had watermarks that looked just like Getty’s, or looked too much like Getty’s original photos. 

Getty believes this is wrong and unfair because they didn’t give permission and were not paid.  Stability AI disagrees. 

Firstly, they said their tool doesn’t copy full pictures. And they also argue that users of the AI choose what to create, so it’s not the company’s fault if some results look similar. 

Now, the decision in this case will set a precedent.  If Getty wins, other AI companies may need to ask permission or pay to use photos for training. That could protect artists and photographers who want to keep control over their work. It could also protect us, as in you and me who post pictures and videos of ourselves on the internet.

But it will also make it harder and more expensive to build new AI tools. 

On the other hand, if Stability AI wins, it could mean AI tools are allowed to learn from online content without asking, as long as they don’t copy it exactly.

The court could also choose a middle option, like making new rules or tools that let artists say if they don’t want their work used. 

Whatever the outcome, it’s a big deal for how future AI tools are made. 

And that’s the bottom line.

So who do you think should win? Are you team Protect the Artists or team Go AI?  Let me know in the comments.

By the way, Getty Images is listed on the New York Stock Exchange; however, Stability AI is not publicly traded.

If you want to learn how to invest in companies like Getty, go to investingforbeginnersja.com.

 

Let’s get this money!