Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the
game for businesses, generating everything from artwork to legal
documents. But when an AI tool produces something valuable, who
owns it? The legal side of this is still evolving, and the answer
depends on where you are and how much human input is involved. This
article breaks down the key points under both EU and US law,
focusing on copyright and contracts—without the legalese.
Copyright and AI
Copyright laws in the US and EU are based on human creativity,
making AI-generated works a grey area.
In the European Union: Under EU copyright law,
only works that show "human intellectual creation" can be
protected. Courts and lawmakers have made it clear that AI, on its
own, does not count as an author. If humans play a meaningful role
in shaping the output, they may be able to claim copyright. The EU
Copyright Directive (2019/790) reinforces this principle, requiring
a work to reflect the author's personality and free,
