New Frontiers and The Impact of Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Revolution on the Future of Intellectual Property Laws

Abstract

Before the Covid pandemic hit, artificial intelligence (AI) had already embedded itself into our everyday lives. AI as an assistive tool adequately responds to humans’ needs, such as virtual digital assistance, almost everyone will have Apple Siri, Alexa and or Google Home, as voice recognition systems. Relying on artificial intelligence systems such as Spotify to provide a recommended list of music based on your existing music choices and preferences is commonplace, and likewise, for producing works of art. Most notably, a project team behind The Next Rembrandt designed algorithms that allowed a computer to create a painting in the style of the 17th century Dutch artist and is known as the Rembrandt 2.0 . Artificial intelligence can produce works which could be considered as copyright works however international law has yet to acknowledge AI as a copyright owner . Humans working in creative, innovative and legal sectors are discussing the consequence of AI systems when it comes to who will own the intellectual property, more importantly, who will the economic rights belong to. Artificial intelligence systems are developing at a significant pace and as a result, reshaping the whole creative and innovative sectors that are protected in the existing intellectual property systems. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the AI systems at present, defining and distinguishing between the concepts of “AI-assisted” and “AI-generated”, to outline the direction of AI development in the context of intellectual property law .