Disney has adopted a strong position against Google’s exploitation of its copyrighted content for AI training purposes. The entertainment titan dispatched a cease-and-desist letter to Google, alleging that the company has extensively utilized Disney’s intellectual property to train AI models. This encompasses unauthorized images and videos showcasing characters from franchises such as Frozen, Star Wars, Marvel, and Moana. Disney’s legal representatives also pointed out that certain AI-generated content featured Google’s logo, which could mislead audiences into believing the content was officially endorsed by Disney.
In reaction, Google has started to eliminate AI-generated videos that showcase Disney characters. The company asserts that it utilizes publicly available data from the internet for training and emphasizes its cooperative initiatives with Disney, including the Content ID tool for rights management. Regardless of the legal confrontation, Disney is not completely distancing itself from AI. It recently secured a $1 billion agreement with OpenAI, facilitating the production of content featuring over 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, some of which will be available on Disney+.
