• Shutterstock has agreed to let OpenAI use its massive library of content to train the likes of DALL-E.
• In return, Shutterstock gets priority access to DALL-E features.
• This partnership could be hugely beneficial for Shutterstock which recently launched its own AI image generator tool.

Companies that have made their money on the open internet such as Reddit and Twitter, have recently starting locking down their borders as artificial intelligence firms trawl the internet for data to train their models.

This lockdown is meant to get the likes of Google and OpenAI to pay up for access to this data but whether they are now paying is unclear.

On Tuesday however, Shutterstock, purveyor of stock imagery, video and audio has announced the renewal of a partnership with ChatGPT creator, OpenAI.

“The renewal and significant expansion of our strategic partnership with OpenAI reinforces Shutterstock’s commitment to driving AI tech innovation and positions us as the data and distribution partner of choice for industry leaders in generative AI,” Shutterstock chief executive officer, Paul Hennessy, said in a press release.

The partnership will give OpenAI access to Shutterstock’s vast library of content while Shutterstock gets priority access to DALL-E’s features. The upside for users is access to new features including synthetic editing capabilities which would allow users to edit existing Shutterstock images using AI tech.

Shutterstock also has its own AI Image Generator which it trains on its own database. Importantly for designers and others in need of stock images, these AI generated images are “guaranteed safe for commercial use”. The firm says this is because its AI is ethically built and trained on proprietary data.

Hopefully these ethics bleed into OpenAI which has courted controversy since its launch of ChatGPT. Generative AI that creates images has been particularly controversial with the likes of Getty Images suing Stability AI for allegedly unlawfully processing its library of images.

OpenAI seems to at least be doing this the right way by getting into a business relationship with Shutterstock.

“We’re pleased to be able to license Shutterstock’s high-quality content library. This extended collaboration not only enhances the capabilities of our image models but also empowers brands, digital media, and marketing companies to unlock transformative possibilities in content creation and ideation. We look forward to bringing the next generation of generative AI capabilities to Shutterstock and GIPHY’s vast user base, further revolutionizing the way people express themselves through visual media,” chief operations officer at OpenAI, Brad Lightcap, said in a press statement.

This partnership seems to be a win for both firms and hopefully AI tools can be made more widely accessible and affordable through team-ups like this. We’re hopeful but we aren’t holding our breath given the billions of dollars flying around this industry at the moment.