And now for another IP case: if AI creates new IP, who is the owner? The AI itself? The US Copyright Office (USCO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), have all held symposiums on this topic in the last two years, and one thing seems clear: it may soon be time for machine-created works to be credited as inventors.

• In the UK, machine-created works may be protected for 50 years, notes TechCrunch, "but should they be protected at all? And, if so, how should they be protected?"

• Dave Davis further notes in TechCrunch, “In my view, a self-aware, autonomous AI would be the prerequisite for its works to be protectable by copyright. At that time, such a revolution in technology might bring along with it a much greater revolution in society, with the law, including copyright law, changing, as well.” 

A Growing Body Of Work

AI has been generating art (from paintings to music to literature) for many years now. In 2018, the first AI-generated painting to be sold at auction fetched $432,500. Of course, that sum went to the artist collective behind the work, rather than to the AI itself.

The Verdict

As AI becomes more powerful and prolific in the coming years, such questions of ownership and even of autonomy will become increasingly important. It's good to know governmental bodies around the world have already begun thinking about such issues.