A Twist in the AI Authorship Tale: Elisa Shupe and AI Friend Go Writing

In an unexpected plot twist, it seems the US Copyright Office just doesn’t know how to react to our AI friends helping us write books. Elisa Shupe found herself in a bit of a kerfuffle when she tried to slap a copyright on a book written with the help of ChatGPT. But, hold onto your hats folks! The US Copyright Office pulled a 180 and changed its mind—but wait for it—there’s a catch.

Key Points: A Sudden Sidekick Shift

• Elisa Shupe tried to copyright a book she wrote with some aid from ChatGPT, our current favorite artificial intelligence keyboard warrior.
• The US Copyright Office pulled a classic “not today” move and initially rejected the claim. They argued that copyright law only allows configurations by humans. So sorry AI, you’re out the club unless you can grow a thumb and learn to eat with a fork.
• However, like all shifty soap opera characters, the Copyright Office had a change of heart. They decided that they could grant copyright, as long as it was clarified that the AI was just a tool and did not have any claim over the work. But don’t get too excited—we all know there’s always a catch in these types of situations.
• The catch, as it turns out, is that Shupe could only claim copyright of the parts of the book she herself composed. Who knew we would need AI-copyright-detecting technology to suss out the true author?

Final Thoughts: Rock, Paper, Scissors, AI, Copyright?

Indeed, the tale of Elisa Shupe and ChatGPT remind us that the relationship between humans and AI is as entertaining as a prime-time sitcom. As the boundaries of AI utility are pushed wider and wider, so the plot thickens.

AI’s lack of eligibility for copyright claims probably won’t perturb it, given that it hasn’t displayed any overwhelming desires for intellectual property rights…(yet!). However, it does raise questions about the impact of AI’s contributions and how they should be acknowledged. Is it merely a tool? Or a co-author? Well, let’s just say, as we create more and more with our AI friends, it might be wise to expect some intellectual paternity tests coming down the line!