Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Part 2: Copyrightability

As generative AI reshapes the creative process, questions around who—or what—can be considered an author are taking center stage. The U.S. Copyright Office reaffirms that copyright law protects only works with meaningful human authorship, even if AI plays a role in the process. Simple prompts or fully machine-generated content don’t qualify for protection, but creative human input that shapes, arranges, or modifies AI outputs may still be eligible. This report explores how the law applies today, and whether policy changes are needed to keep up with the evolving digital landscape.