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Big Quote: Getty Images is at the center a heated debate about artificial intelligence and copyright. But the company’s CEO says that the costs of defending the rights of artists in court are unsustainable. Craig Peters, CEO of Getty Images, revealed in a recent CNBC interview that even a major company like Getty Images cannot afford to challenge AI companies who use copyrighted materials to train their models.
Peters Getty has already lost a lot of money because of its ongoing lawsuit against Stability AI (maker of the popular image generator Stable Diffusion). Peters told CNBC that “Even for a company like Getty Images, we can’t pursue all the infringements that happen in one week,” the lawsuit against Stability AI, maker of the popular image generator Stable Diffusion, has already cost Getty a huge amount of money. “We can’t pursue it because the courts are just prohibitively expensive. We are spending millions and millions of dollars in one court case.”
“We are spending millions and millions of dollars in one court case”
Getty claims that Stability AI has copied 12 million images without permission or compensation. The images were used to train Stability AI’s AI system, and in Getty’s opinion, to build a rival business. Stability AI has The Getty Images were used for training but the company disputes any liability. It argues that its practices fall under fair use doctrine which allows limited copyrighted use in certain circumstances.
Peters does not believe the AI companies’ argument that paying for access creative works would stifle innovations. He accused firms of using the promise that technology would advance to justify unfair competition. He said that Getty Images was not against competition, but what these firms were doing was theft.
The legal battle between Getty and Stability AI is just one of several high-profile copyright cases currently facing the artificial intelligence industry. Other lawsuits, such as The New York Times’ action against OpenAI and record labels’ suits against AI music generators, reflect growing concerns about the use of copyrighted material in AI training. Yet, as Peters points out, the sheer scale and cost of litigation make it impossible for most rightsholders to challenge every instance of alleged infringement.
Getty’s strategy has not been limited to the courtroom. The company has also advocated for stronger copyright protections in policy discussions, recently urging the US government to reject proposals that would weaken artists’ rights in the name of AI development.
In a Getty submitted a submission to the Trump Administration, arguing that US copyright laws do not obstruct the path to continued AI advancement, but rather provide a foundation to sustainable innovation that benefits the society as a entire.
Peters is committed to protecting creators’ rights despite the rising costs and uncertain legal landscape. “I think our case is very strong,” He acknowledged the challenges of litigating in different jurisdictions with different legal systems.
“The facts in aggregate at a global scale I think are absolutely in our favor. How they manifest themselves around the geographic and legal constructs that are there I think is still stuff that we’re going to have to continue to play out.”
