Disney in Talks With OpenAI While Suing Midjourney – Report
▼ Summary
– Disney and Comcast sued AI company Midjourney for allegedly misusing copyrighted materials, marking Disney’s first major legal action against AI.
– Disney is negotiating a potential partnership with OpenAI, though it refuses to license its full content library, following similar moves by other media companies.
– Only Comcast joined Disney’s lawsuit against Midjourney, as other studios declined due to differing priorities.
– Disney’s lawyer stated the lawsuit is part of a broader campaign to protect intellectual property in generative AI, hinting at future legal actions.
– Disney has experimented with AI, such as an AI-powered Darth Vader in Fortnite, while AI remains a controversial topic in gaming, with mixed industry reactions.
Disney appears to be taking a dual approach to artificial intelligence, simultaneously pursuing legal action against one AI firm while exploring collaboration with another. According to recent reports, the entertainment giant has filed a lawsuit against Midjourney over alleged copyright violations while simultaneously engaging in talks with OpenAI about a potential partnership.
Sources indicate Disney has no plans to license its entire content library to any third party. However, the company appears interested in following the lead of media organizations like YouTube, The Atlantic, and Vox Media in establishing a working relationship with OpenAI. Interestingly, Disney reportedly reached out to other major studios about joining its legal battle against Midjourney, though only Comcast agreed to participate. Industry observers suggest this mixed response reflects varying priorities among entertainment companies regarding AI policy.
Disney’s chief legal officer Horacio Gutierrez framed the Midjourney lawsuit as part of a broader strategy to defend intellectual property in the age of generative AI. “This represents our initial legal action in this space,” Gutierrez stated, “but we anticipate it won’t be our last.” The statement suggests Disney may pursue additional cases as it seeks to establish boundaries around AI’s use of copyrighted material.
The company’s stance on AI isn’t entirely oppositional. Disney recently collaborated with AI technology to recreate James Earl Jones’ iconic Darth Vader voice for Fortnite content. The gaming industry continues to grapple with AI integration, as demonstrated by Frontier Developments’ reversal on using generative AI in Jurassic World Evolution 3 following player backlash. Meanwhile, veteran game designer Masahiro Sakurai has suggested that AI could help address the growing challenges of large-scale game development.
(Source: GAMESPOT)
