> Media firms are decidedly coy about their AI use, both to protect against public backlash and, more financially important, to preserve the legal basis for their copyrights
Lying preserves the legal basis for copyright?
Maybe what that means is this: it's not illegal to lie about something being copyrighted (to discourage copying) if you don't actually take it as far as taking someone to court over it.
> Lying preserves the legal basis for copyright?
With some amount of AI (zero) the resulting work is copyrighted. With some amount of AI (prompt "create influencer videos") the resulting work is not copyrighted.
Since laws are still in flux, and the line might still move, downplaying the use of AI makes it more likely your copyright will survive.