Using AI-generated content: licences and usage rights at a glance
Creating something with AI is quick. Knowing what you are allowed to do with it takes a little reading. This guide is a general orientation, not legal advice. The rules around AI output differ between tools, plans and countries, and they are still evolving, so the terms of the tool you use are always the starting point. For anything important, ask a qualified professional.
Why this matters
If you sell a product with AI-made artwork, publish a course narrated by a synthetic voice or deliver marketing copy to a client, you want to be sure you have the right to do so. Problems usually come from skipped fine print, not from the tool itself.
Questions to ask about any tool
- Is commercial use allowed on my plan? Free and paid plans can have different permissions. Check the current terms rather than a forum post.
- Who holds rights in the output? Terms may describe ownership, a licence to you, or something in between. Read the exact wording.
- Are there restrictions? Common ones cover impersonation, misleading content, certain sensitive uses and reselling the raw output.
- What may I upload? You are normally responsible for having the rights to anything you provide, such as scripts, images, recordings or reference models.
- How is my data used? Find out whether your inputs can be used to improve the provider's models and whether you can opt out or delete them.
- What changes if I cancel? Some terms treat work made while subscribed differently from work made afterwards. Keep a copy of the terms you accepted.
Differences by type of content
- Voice. Beyond licence terms, a real person's voice raises consent questions. ElevenLabs, for example, asks users to confirm they hold the rights before cloning a voice. Platforms may also limit what you can do with audio once it leaves their service.
- Video and avatars. Likeness is the sensitive point. Synthesia's avatar policy describes informed consent for custom avatars. Footage may include other people's faces, logos or music, so review before publishing.
- Writing. Tools such as Jasper can help draft copy in a defined brand voice, but you remain responsible for accuracy and for avoiding text that closely echoes someone else's work.
- 3D models. A Meshy model may be fine for a game prototype, but check the licence for your plan before shipping, selling or printing it, and be careful when your input is a picture of someone else's design.
Good habits
- Save the terms, plan name and date for each project.
- Keep your prompts, source files and edits, which show how the work was made.
- Never prompt a tool to imitate a living artist, a brand or a real person without permission.
- Review output for lookalike logos, names or recognisable characters.
- Tell clients when AI was used, especially if their contract or the platform where they publish says something about it.
Mistakes to avoid
- Assuming that anything a tool generates is automatically free for any use.
- Relying on a blog post's summary of the terms. Terms change.
- Uploading confidential client material to a tool you have not checked.
- Treating a licence from the tool as a guarantee against third-party claims.
When in doubt, contact the provider's support or a legal professional before you publish or sell.
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