著作權決戰AI畫作──論人工智慧時代的藝術智慧在著作權法上之評價

Copyright Versus Artificial Intelligence Art: The Authorship Dispute Regarding AI-Generated Art in Copyright Law

傳統上，著作權歸屬於創作著作之著作人（author），然而以實現藝術智慧為導向的AI系統是由機器學習演算法生成藝術作品，可稱為AI生成作品（AI-generated works）、電腦生成作品（Computer-generated works）或是演算法生成作品（the Outputs of Algorithms）。本文探究AI畫作是否符合現行著作權法之規定而受到著作權保護。本文依序概述機器學習演算法之現況、介紹近年AI畫作實例，以及說明美國、英國與我國著作權法相關規範、主管機關和學界意見。AI畫作乃是藝術領域之作品，同時也是著作權法所例示著作當中的美術著作。若試圖以著作權法保護AI畫作，就必須解決糾結的「著作人身分」問題，本文之立場並不執著於作品之直接「著作人」必須是自然人的資格要件，而是著重在如何提供著作權保護給AI畫作，才能兼顧與衡平AI系統開發者之經濟利益與使用者權益，進而促進國家科技與文化的發展。

Traditionally, copyright belongs to the creator of a work. However, artificial intelligence (AI) systems that are designed to realize artistic intelligence can generate paintings by applying machine learning algorithms. These AI paintings can be called AI-generated works, computer-generated works, or the outputs of algorithms. This paper explores whether AI paintings are subject to copyright protection in accordance with the provisions of copyright law. The paper summarizes the current situation regarding machine learning algorithms, introduces recent examples of AI paintings, and explains relevant regulations involving copyright law and opinions of the competent authorities and scholars in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan. AI paintings are artworks, and as such are works of art under copyright law. To protect AI paintings by applying copyright law, the entangled ''authorship'' problem must be addressed. The position of this paper is that the ''creator'' need not be a natural person. From that premise, the paper focuses on approaches to providing copyright protection for AI paintings in order to balance the economic interests of AI system developers and the rights of users.