Disney calls out Google for using its characters in AI tools
Disney just accused Google of training its AI on Disney's copyrighted content—think Frozen, Star Wars, and even characters from The Lion King—without permission.
In a cease-and-desist letter sent December 15, Disney pointed to unauthorized AI-generated images and videos featuring their famous characters popping up online.
What's the beef?
Disney says some of these AI creations even had Google's logo on them, making it look like they were officially approved by Disney.
After months of back-and-forth, Disney finally demanded action.
Google responded by working with Disney to take down dozens of AI-generated videos and said its AI is trained only on "public data from the open web."
Why does this matter?
This clash highlights a bigger issue: tech companies often use copyrighted stuff to train their AIs, but creators like Disney aren't thrilled about it.
The fight over who owns what in the age of AI is just getting started.
Meanwhile, Disney teams up with OpenAI
While all this was happening, Disney struck a $1 billion deal with OpenAI.
Now Sora can use over 200 characters from Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and more for new content—some of which might even show up on Disney+.