The Rise of AI and the End of Copyright

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is shaking the very foundations of the copyright system. As AI becomes capable of exhibiting creativity equal to or surpassing that of humans, the concept of copyright may become meaningless.

Mass Generation of Creative Works and Loss of Originality

AI can analyze vast amounts of data and generate new works based on that analysis. In this process, AI can combine and edit features of existing works to mass-produce original creations. However, these works are not based on human creativity but are generated by algorithms. In other words, AI-generated creations may not meet the basic concept of originality, which is fundamental to copyright.

Limitations and Collapse of the Copyright System

The copyright system aims to protect the rights of creators and encourage creativity. However, the mass generation of creative works by AI exposes the limitations of this system. Who can claim copyright for works generated by AI? Moreover, how can the rights of human creators be protected in a situation where AI-generated works are widely distributed? The current copyright system cannot provide clear answers to these questions.

A New Era of Creativity and Open-Sourcing

While the rise of AI may lead to the collapse of the copyright system, it also has the potential to usher in a new era of creativity. If AI-generated works can be mass-produced and freely used, creativity will be democratized at an unprecedented level. If an environment is created where anyone can freely use and modify works, new innovations may emerge one after another. This means that the concept of open source will spread to creative works in general.

The development of AI has brought the copyright system to a major turning point. The end of copyright does not mean the end of creativity; rather, it may herald the dawn of a new era of creativity. We must embrace this change and build a new social system where AI and human creativity can coexist.