OpenAI CEO proposes revenue-sharing model for AI art

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has expressed interest in developing a revenue-sharing model that would compensate artists whose styles are used in artificial intelligence (AI)-generated art.

In a TED conversation with host Chris Anderson, Altman suggested that artists could opt-in to have their styles used and receive payment.

To note, the AI startup currently has measures in place to prevent its image generator from mimicking the styles of living artists.

However, Altman believes that a new model could be developed to allow artists to benefit from their work being used in AI art generation.

“I think it would be cool to figure out a new model where if you say ‘I want to do it in the name of this artist’ and they opt-in, there’s a revenue model there,” the OpenAI co-founder noted.

Altman acknowledged that there are complex questions surrounding AI-generated art, such as determining how much inspiration can be taken from an artist's work and how to divide payments among multiple artists.

This development comes when discussion around AI-generated art has been contentious, with some critics accusing AI models of copyright infringement and intellectual property theft.

The issue has been highlighted by the recent trend of AI-generated images in the style of Studio Ghibli.

Altman also discussed his company’s plans to develop more advanced AI models, including AI agents that can transact autonomously on behalf of users.

On the sidelines, OpenAI has recently raised $300 billion in funding and is working on enhancing its image generation feature in ChatGPT.