WIPO, Art, and Artificial Intelligence: Repainting the Past, Designing the Future

The New Frontiers of Intellectual Property

The rise of AI-assisted artworks is redrawing the boundaries of intellectual property rights in the digital world. At the heart of this transformation is a name: Emi Kusano, a Tokyo-based multidisciplinary artist. Kusano reinterprets collective and individual memories through AI in a hyper-realistic way while bringing cultural heritage to the present with the creative possibilities offered by the digital age.

This striking transformation is closely followed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Last year, WIPO hosted Kusano as a speaker in the information session titled “The Impact of Generative AI on the Creative Fields.” The session discussed the new boundaries where art meets technology and the intellectual property issues arising from this convergence. In this blog post, we explore why WIPO highlights this critical agenda and how Kusano’s experiences play a transformative role in this field.

A Journey Between Art, Technology, and Collective Memory

Emi Kusano: Portrait of a Retro-Futuristic Storyteller

Emi Kusano is not just an artist; she is a bridge across times. She blends her nostalgic interest in 1980s and 1990s pop culture with new-generation technologies such as artificial intelligence and NFTs, creating a unique language by merging fashion, music, photography, video, and digital art.

Kusano’s projects—such as Neural Fad, Melancholic Magical Maiden, and Shinsei Galverse—revive past cultural images while questioning the aesthetic understanding of the digital era. Particularly, the AI-assisted production process enables the artist to develop an expressive language at the intersection of “creative algorithms and human sensitivity.”

Kusano and Generative AI from WIPO’s Perspective

WIPO adopts a holistic approach to the intellectual property questions raised by these new forms of creation. Kusano’s artworks open a different window on whether the data used in generative AI systems can be subject to copyright, focusing on the “artistic value of the output.” Kusano emphasizes that, “If as an artist I combine different elements and create something entirely new, that output itself is art,” highlighting that AI-generated content is not merely technical production but a creative act.

This view aligns perfectly with one of WIPO’s core debates: When is an AI output considered original? How can this originality be protected? Kusano’s example demonstrates that this discussion is not just theoretical but directly impacts artists’ daily practices.

NFTs: Protection or Sharing?

While NFT technology revolutionizes the digital ownership of art, it also brings new debates. Kusano does not see NFTs merely as “ownership certificates” but rather as an open digital ecosystem where international artists collaborate, receive feedback, and share their productions.

WIPO is working on how NFTs should be structured in terms of intellectual property protection. As Kusano stresses, unless the collaborative aspect of this technology is strengthened, NFTs might become mere digital walls. WIPO’s role here is to develop a balanced framework that both protects artists’ rights and does not stifle innovation.

Dangers and Limits: From Deepfakes to Human Rights

Alongside the opportunities AI offers, there are risks. Kusano particularly regards the AI-based replication of actors’ voices and faces as a violation of human rights. This ethical stance shows that the artist uses technology not only as a tool but with moral responsibility.

WIPO’s approach is similar: new technologies must be limited to prevent infringing on individuals’ identity, labor, and authenticity. The AI systems Kusano developed in her anime studio are designed with this awareness.

WIPO’s Priority: Protecting Creativity and Cultural Heritage

Emi Kusano’s story reveals not only the effects of technology on art but also the changing nature of intellectual property. WIPO is aware of this change and takes important steps toward establishing a global system that encourages creativity while protecting rights in the digital era.

By interacting directly with artists, listening to their experiences, and understanding their needs, WIPO’s approach lays the strongest foundation for the future of intellectual property. As Kusano puts it, “We might be the last generation that can share such a powerful nostalgia.” WIPO’s mission is to ensure this nostalgia continues to be creatively revived in the future.

Source:

https://www.wipo.int/web/ip-advantage/w/stories/emi-kusano-generative-art?p_l_back_url=%2Fen%2Fweb%2Fip-advantage%2Fsearch