Midjourney vs. Hollywood: AI Use & Copyright Showdown

AI startup Midjourney wants Hollywood studios to reveal how they use AI. This comes amidst a legal dispute where Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. sued Midjourney for alleged copyright infringement. Midjourney argues that training its AI models on copyrighted characters is fair use. A judge previously ruled that the studios must provide information on their generative AI use, but only for "consumer-facing" content. Midjourney is now challenging this limitation. The startup claims the studios are withholding documents that would show them doing exactly what they accuse Midjourney of doing. For example, if studios use AI to generate images for storyboarding, it could suggest an industry custom of training AI on unlicensed copyrighted content. Midjourney also wants the studios to reveal all prompts used in Midjourney, not just the allegedly infringing ones. The studios' attorney previously called this a "fishing expedition," stating they want Midjourney to stop copying their content without authorization, not to shut down AI technology. The bottom line here is that this case could set important precedents for AI and copyright in the entertainment industry.