What Artists Need to Know About AI and Copyright– published September 2025.
As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly common in creative practice, many artists are asking the same question: what does this mean for my copyright?
The Australian Copyright Council has published a fact sheet addressing exactly that, and the answers are worth knowing.
Under Australian law, copyright protection is automatic- there’s no need to register a work. But that protection only applies to work created by a human author. Content generated entirely by an AI platform, without meaningful human creative input, is unlikely to be protected by copyright.
This has real implications for artists using generative AI tools in their practice. While the software running those tools is protected, the images, text or music they produce may not be.
There are also concerns running the other way. Many AI systems are trained on vast datasets that include copyright-protected work- often without the knowledge or permission of the original creators. Under Australian law, permission from a copyright owner is generally required before their work can be used for AI training, including through text and data mining.
The rules around AI and copyright are still evolving, and laws in different countries vary significantly.
Australian artists and arts organisations can access free preliminary legal advice through the Australian Copyright Council. Visit their website here.