10/16 – A Missouri computer scientist, Stephen Thaler, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court decision holding that works created solely by artificial intelligence are not entitled to copyright protection. Thaler argues the decision undermines innovation and contradicts Congress’s intentions. The U.S. Copyright Office denied his application after his AI system “DABUS” created a piece of visual art. Courts at both the district and appellate levels have upheld the denial, holding that human authorship is a requirement for copyright protection. A Supreme Court review could reshape whether AI-generated works are legally protectable.