Last week, Grossman LLP special counsel Kate Lucas spoke to Amherst College students and faculty about emerging copyright issues posed by generative artificial intelligence (AI).  The event was part of an ongoing initiative at Amherst called “AI in the Liberal Arts,” which aims to explore, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the ways in which AI is rapidly changing our world. 

Drawing from historical and recent case law, Kate’s lecture gave an overview of some of the ways in which AI is challenging longstanding fundamental concepts in copyright law, including authorship, copyrightability, infringement, and fair use.  She also touched on the emerging role of AI in authentication and attribution questions on the fine art market. 

After her lecture, the discussion continued as Kate was joined by members of the Amherst faculty: Niko Vicario, Associate Department Chair of Art and History of Art; Lee Spector, Department Chair of Computer Science; and Mark Firmani, Assistant Professor of Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought.  The group discussed topics ranging from the role of judges and legislators, to the way class action risks and settlements might impact tech businesses, to what “human” creativity will look like as technology advances into areas like augmented intelligence.