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ChatGPT Put Real New Yorker Cartoonists’ Signatures on AI-Generated Images
Nieman Lab documented more than 15 New Yorker cartoonists whose signatures appeared on ChatGPT generated images without permission or payment. Brendan Loper said he had not drawn or signed the viral cartoon bearing his pen name, yet people asked him whether it was his.
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Key takeaways
- Nieman Lab documented more than 15 New Yorker cartoonists whose signatures appeared on ChatGPT generated images without permission or payment.
- Brendan Loper said he had not drawn or signed the viral cartoon bearing his pen name, yet people asked him whether it was his.
- The Condé Nast licensing deal did not authorize training on New Yorker cartoons; reports said some prompt restrictions followed, but signed images continued to appear.
AI Prompt
openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: What did Nieman Lab find about ChatGPT generating New Yorker-style cartoons bearing real cartoonists’ signatures without their permission or. Article summary: Nieman Lab found that ChatGPT was generating New Yorker-style cartoons bearing the signatures of more than 15 real cartoonists, without their permission or payment. The problem was not just imitation of a visual style: a. Topic tags: general, general web. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fake numbers, clic
Nieman Lab documented more than 15 New Yorker cartoonists whose signatures appeared on AI-generated cartoons from ChatGPT, without their permission or payment. The issue goes beyond visual imitation: a real artist’s signature can falsely suggest that the artist made or endorsed an image. 17
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Why the “BLOPER” cartoon raised concerns
A widely shared AI-generated cartoon carried “BLOPER,” the pen name of New Yorker cartoonist Brendan Loper. Loper said he had neither drawn nor signed it, and people contacted him to ask if the cartoon was his. The episode showed how viewers could mistake an AI-generated image for an artist’s work when it bears that artist’s signature. 18
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For Loper, a signature is not just decoration: he described it as a “certificate of authenticity,” a mark he puts on work he wants recognized as his. 17
Cartoonists objected to false attribution
The report’s concern was not simply that generated cartoons resembled the magazine’s familiar format. Adding an actual cartoonist’s signature attached a real person’s name to work they did not create. Other cartoonists described seeing elements of their work in generated images while still recognizing that the images were not drawings they had made. 17
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That distinction matters to readers as well as artists. A signature can serve as a cue for authorship, so placing one on generated work risks confusing the source of the image—even when the work itself is synthetic. 17
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The Condé Nast deal did not cover cartoons
OpenAI has a content licensing agreement with Condé Nast, the publisher of The New Yorker. But the reporting says that agreement did not authorize training on New Yorker cartoons. A deal covering some publisher content should not be treated as blanket permission to use every kind of material or reproduce contributors’ signatures. 10
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OpenAI’s response—and what remains unsettled
Reports said OpenAI added restrictions to some prompts after Nieman Lab raised questions. But examples of generated cartoons bearing artists’ signatures continued to be reported. 22
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The reporting documents the outputs and the attribution concerns, but does not establish exactly how the model learned the signatures or settle whether the training or generated images infringe copyright. Those questions should not be treated as answered by the existence of a licensing agreement—or by the fact that an image generator produced a signature. 17
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What is the short answer to "ChatGPT Put Real New Yorker Cartoonists’ Signatures on AI-Generated Images"?
Nieman Lab documented more than 15 New Yorker cartoonists whose signatures appeared on ChatGPT generated images without permission or payment.
What are the key points to validate first?
Nieman Lab documented more than 15 New Yorker cartoonists whose signatures appeared on ChatGPT generated images without permission or payment. Brendan Loper said he had not drawn or signed the viral cartoon bearing his pen name, yet people asked him whether it was his.
What should I do next in practice?
The Condé Nast licensing deal did not authorize training on New Yorker cartoons; reports said some prompt restrictions followed, but signed images continued to appear.