Post Written by Vasily Alekseenko

You’ve probably done it already—used ChatGPT to draft copy, asked Midjourney or DALL·E to generate an image, or got code snippets from an AI tool to plug into your product. Feels like magic. But here’s the question most founders aren’t asking:

Who actually owns that content?

The short answer: not you—at least, not in the way you think.

AI Can’t Hold Copyright (And That Changes Everything)

Let’s get one thing straight: under UK law (and in most countries), copyright must be held by a human. AI is not a legal person. So anything created entirely by AI—without meaningful human input—isn’t protected by copyright.

That means:

You can’t stop others from copying it.You might not be able to claim it as IP in your pitch deck.It could be worthless in a future due diligence process.

🚫 If no one owns it, no one can enforce it. That might sound freeing, but in a startup world where intellectual property equals value, it’s a red flag.

So What About Me? I Typed the Prompt!

Good question. If you’re giving substantial creative input, there’s an argument you’ve shaped the final output enough to claim some rights. But it’s not bulletproof.

Example:

Typing “Generate a startup pitch deck for a B2B SaaS tool that helps remote teams” is not enough.But iterating on the content, editing the results, and combining them with your own input might create something original enough to protect.

It’s all about human authorship. If your final asset is just a slightly edited AI output—your ownership claim is weak.

What This Means for Founders

1. Be careful with branding, content, and code.

If your brand visuals, pitch deck, or even product code is AI-generated, document how it was created. Investors may ask.

2. Don’t assume exclusivity.

Someone else could generate something very similar with a similar prompt. If you’re relying on AI for logos or taglines, think twice.

3. AI is a co-pilot, not a creator.

Use AI to accelerate your work—not replace the original thinking behind it. Combine AI outputs with human creativity to ensure the end result is protectable.

4. Your team needs to know this.

Designers, marketers, developers using AI tools? Make sure they understand what’s at stake. You don’t want to find out in due diligence that you don’t own your own brand assets.

Final Thought: IP Still Matters, Even in an AI World

AI can help you move faster—but it doesn’t replace the legal reality. If you want to build something valuable, especially for investors or future acquirers, make sure you actually own what you’re building.

Because if it’s not yours, it might not be worth much.

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