Shutterstock and OpenAI Partner to Offer AI-Generated Stock Images for Sale

Shutterstock is set to embrace AI-generated art by expanding its partnership with OpenAI. The photo provider plans to sell stock images created using the DALL-E 2 AI generator, granting users "direct access" to DALL-E through its website. Additionally, Shutterstock will introduce a new Contributor Fund to compensate creators whose work contributed to the development of this technology. Artists will also receive royalties when their images are utilized by the AI.

This collaboration builds on OpenAI's previous licensing of Shutterstock images and data in 2021 to train DALL-E's text-to-image generation models. The integration of DALL-E is expected to launch in the coming months. A key aspect of this agreement is Shutterstock's policy to prohibit AI-generated art that was not produced via OpenAI's platform. This measure not only safeguards their business models but also ensures that content sources can be tracked for proper compensation.

Payments to creators will occur biannually and will include earnings from both the training data and image royalties. This pioneering compensation deal could help clarify whether AI-generated art is derived or stolen. In contrast, competitors like Getty Images have taken a more cautious approach, completely banning AI-created images due to copyright concerns and implementing filters to prevent such content. Google, on the other hand, is keeping its Imagen tool private until a responsible public release can be defined.

While this agreement marks progress towards a more symbiotic relationship between AI and the creative industry, it raises questions regarding the compensation structure. Artists may find that licensing agreements for AI-generated content yield lower payments compared to sales of original images. Thus, while this partnership between Shutterstock and OpenAI is a significant step forward, it is not a complete resolution to the challenges posed by AI in creative fields.