When I write a prompt for an AI tool, and the tools produces content based on my instructions, who owns the copyright?

This area of law is still developing. Your creative prompts may be protected by copyright.

However, in the United States, any output created by an AI tool (like ChatGPT, Midjourney, etc.) is not capable of being protected by copyright. This is because U.S. law states that only human beings are eligible to hold copyright in creative works. Non-human entities, like AI or animals, cannot get copyright.


Some other countries have different polices about AI and copyright output. Ask a Librarian or CFRs.

Service Alert:
Winter Recess: Harvard Library and the University are closed from noon on Wednesday, December 24, 2025 through Thursday, January 1, 2026. Any questions sent during this period will be answered following our return on January 2, 2026.

 

Chat

 

Monday-Friday 9am-6pm
 

Chat is intended for brief inquiries from the Harvard community.

Meet

Talk to a librarian for advice on defining your topic, developing your research strategy, and locating and using sources. Make an appointment now.

These services are intended primarily for Harvard University faculty, staff and students. If you are not affiliated with Harvard, please use these services only to request information about the Library and its collections.