U.S. Copyright Office rules AI-generated art requires human creativity for copyright protection

The U.S. Copyright Office has ruled that AI-generated art created solely from text prompts cannot be copyrighted. This decision, announced on January 29, clarifies that human involvement is necessary for copyright protection. Artworks must demonstrate some human creativity beyond just text prompts. Works that use AI as a tool may be protected, but each case will be evaluated individually. This ruling follows the controversy over Jason Allen's AI artwork, which won a state fair award but faced copyright registration issues. The Copyright Office will continue to assess developments in AI art but does not plan major legislative changes.