Disney, Universal Sue AI Firm Midjourney Over Copyright Infringement

Entertainment giants Disney and Universal have filed a lawsuit against AI company Midjourney, accusing it of copyright infringement through its image-generation software. The legal action, filed in Los Angeles, alleges Midjourney used copyrighted characters to train its large language model (LLM) and distributed unauthorized images featuring these protected works.

The complaint describes Midjourney''s service as a ''virtual vending machine'' producing endless copies of Disney and Universal''s intellectual property without permission. This case highlights growing tensions between creative industries and AI developers over the use of copyrighted material in training datasets.

Large Language Models like Midjourney''s are typically trained on vast amounts of data, including text and code, to perform complex linguistic tasks. The lawsuit focuses on the alleged unauthorized use of iconic characters from both studios'' extensive portfolios.