Three members of Congress introduced legislation on June 3 that would establish a new federal right protecting visual artists from the unauthorized commercial use of AI-generated works that imitate their distinctive styles.
Representatives Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), and Valerie Foushee (D-NC) introduced the Creative Rights Ensuring Artists’ Technique and Originality Are Reserved (CREATOR) Act. The bill targets the commercial distribution of AI-generated content that constitutes a stylistic impersonation of a visual artist’s work without their consent. The legislation emerged from the Congressional Creators Caucus, a bipartisan body co-founded by Clarke and Van Duyne to elevate creator voices in federal policymaking.
“Artists, illustrators, and designers in every district are watching their livelihoods be undercut by AI tools deliberately impersonating them, but right now, the law has no answer for it,” Van Duyne said in a press release. “The CREATOR Act is a direct response. I’m glad to be leading this bipartisan effort alongside Representatives Clarke and Foushee, taking direct aim at the bad actors who knowingly use AI to fake an artist’s identity for commercial gain.”
Clarke framed the bill as a response to direct creator input. “Creators and artists have been sounding the alarm about the misuse of their work and identities by AI systems,” she said. “The CREATOR Act is a direct response to those concerns.”
Industry Backdrop
Adobe Chief Legal Officer Louise Pentland endorsed the bill, citing the absence of existing legal frameworks capable of addressing AI-driven style imitation. “The CREATOR Act closes that gap by establishing a federal right protecting visual artists’ signature styles from intentional, commercial AI-enabled impersonation and giving creators meaningful recourse,” Pentland said, referencing the creative economy’s $1.2 trillion value.
A June 2026 survey of 3,000 professional content creators by Epidemic Sound, published separately, provides context for the legislative push. The report found that 33% of creators worry about AI replicating their voice or creative style, 93% associate AI with significant risks, and 73% acknowledge that unclear licensing could limit future business opportunities.
The Graphic Artists Guild and the Business Software Alliance both issued statements supporting the bill’s introduction. The CREATOR Act has not yet been scheduled for committee consideration.
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Three members of Congress introduced legislation on June 3 that would establish a new federal right protecting visual artists from the unauthorized commercial use of AI-generated works that imitate their distinctive styles.
Representatives Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), and Valerie Foushee (D-NC) introduced the Creative Rights Ensuring Artists’ Technique and Originality Are Reserved (CREATOR) Act. The bill targets the commercial distribution of AI-generated content that constitutes a stylistic impersonation of a visual artist’s work without their consent. The legislation emerged from the Congressional Creators Caucus, a bipartisan body co-founded by Clarke and Van Duyne to elevate creator voices in federal policymaking.
“Artists, illustrators, and designers in every district are watching their livelihoods be undercut by AI tools deliberately impersonating them, but right now, the law has no answer for it,” Van Duyne said in a press release. “The CREATOR Act is a direct response. I’m glad to be leading this bipartisan effort alongside Representatives Clarke and Foushee, taking direct aim at the bad actors who knowingly use AI to fake an artist’s identity for commercial gain.”
Clarke framed the bill as a response to direct creator input. “Creators and artists have been sounding the alarm about the misuse of their work and identities by AI systems,” she said. “The CREATOR Act is a direct response to those concerns.”
Industry Backdrop
Adobe Chief Legal Officer Louise Pentland endorsed the bill, citing the absence of existing legal frameworks capable of addressing AI-driven style imitation. “The CREATOR Act closes that gap by establishing a federal right protecting visual artists’ signature styles from intentional, commercial AI-enabled impersonation and giving creators meaningful recourse,” Pentland said, referencing the creative economy’s $1.2 trillion value.
A June 2026 survey of 3,000 professional content creators by Epidemic Sound, published separately, provides context for the legislative push. The report found that 33% of creators worry about AI replicating their voice or creative style, 93% associate AI with significant risks, and 73% acknowledge that unclear licensing could limit future business opportunities.
The Graphic Artists Guild and the Business Software Alliance both issued statements supporting the bill’s introduction. The CREATOR Act has not yet been scheduled for committee consideration.
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