Creator argues copyright law failed artists before AI era

Digital creator Adrienne Leigh stated on Bluesky that current copyright frameworks were inadequate for protecting individual artists long before generative AI emerged. Leigh explicitly rejected the label of copyright maximalist while arguing that existing statutes primarily benefit corporations rather than human creators. This commentary suggests that legislative attempts to address AI training data may be misdirected if they ignore foundational structural inequities in intellectual property law. The statement highlights a growing divide among creatives who distinguish between opposing AI scraping and supporting the broader copyright regime. Leigh’s position implies that effective policy must address historical power imbalances between rights holders and individual authors. This perspective challenges industry narratives that frame AI as the singular disruption to creative livelihoods. The remarks contribute to ongoing debates regarding whether AI-specific regulations or comprehensive copyright reform is the appropriate remedy.