Stephen Downes

"The legal trajectory of AI-generated content presents a pivotal opportunity for open education, directly addressing the twin problems of legal uncertainty and eroded trust outlined at the outset," wqrites Rory McGreal. First, AI-generated content is automatically open content. "The clear consensus that purely AI-generated works are not copyrightable and belong to the public domain provides a stable legal foundation. Educators can use such content without fear of copyright infringement, licensing fees, or complex attribution chains. This demystifies a major part of the 'minefield,' transforming the 'what if' from a source of dread into a clear guideline: autonomous GenAI can be used to create OER lessons." That doesn't mean 'anything goes'. "The academic community must uphold principles of authorship, accountability, and transparency. Using public domain AI content does not absolve educators of the need for due diligence, citation of specific sources, or ethical disclosure of AI assistance in human-AI collaborations."