Always verify AI-generated information and any sources it produces.
AI tools may:
generate inaccurate, oversimplified, or exaggerated information and summaries
fabricate citations or sources (“hallucinations”)
recommend promotional or low-quality websites as reliable sources
Consultation with the GB Library's guide on Responsible Use of Generative AI is recommended to understand key terms, how to evaluate outputs, academic integrity, harm considerations, and copyright.
Please note uploading library e-resources to GenAI tools is not permitted and may constitute copyright infringement. Please refer to our Copyright Best Practices for more details.
The increasing popularity of Generative AI (GenAI) raises serious concerns about how these tools interact with Canadian copyright laws. As copyright protects original literary, artistic, and dramatic works, questions arise about who owns AI-generated creations and how the use of copyrighted material in training models affects rights holders. Many AI models are trained on vast datasets that include copyrighted works, often without the consent of rights holders. As legislation and case law remain unsettled, understanding these risks is critical for anyone employing AI tools in research, teaching, or creative projects.
Copyright considerations need to be taken with regards to both input and output when using generative AI tools.
| Input | Output |
|---|---|
| Generative AI relies on large amounts of data to operate its systems and generate content. Some tools rely on copyright cleared or copyright free learning sets, but many are accused of using copyrighted materials without permission from the authors/owners. This has led to numerous lawsuits around the world (TFL, 2025), and even one AI company settling a lawsuit for $1.5 billion (CBC, 2025). With this in mind, it is important to understand that uploading/inputting materials for which you are not the copyright holder may constitute copyright infringement. |
In Canada, as well as other countries copyright ownership of generative AI content is still uncertain. Lawsuits dealing with this issue are currently underway in both Canada (CIPPIC v Sahni., n.d.) and the United States (Stephen Thaler v. Shira Perlmutter, et al., n.d.). Thus, a creator may not be able to claim copyright protection for works they create using generative AI tools. |
Respect Copyright and License Terms
Always ensure that you have permission from the copyright holder or have verified that you can use a piece of text, image, or other content before inputting/uploading to a generative AI tool.
No. The library signs contracts with different publishers and vendors. These contracts prohibit the uploading of materials to third-party platforms, including generative AI tools. Consult the LLC’s Acceptable Use Guidelines for more information on how electronic materials may be used.
Can I use the full text of openly licensed material (such as Creative Commons content) in Artificial Intelligence systems?
Yes. For materials with an open license, please review the license terms to understand the permitted use of the materials. Creative Commons’ states that “if someone uses CC-licensed work with any new or developing technology, and if copyright permission is required, then the CC-license allows that use without the need to seek permission for the copyright owner so long as the license conditions are respected.”
While you can use these tools to create content, you may not own or hold copyright in the works generated.
Review the terms of service of each tool: These terms will dictate use and ownership of input/output and they are subject to change without notice.
Be mindful of what you input into tools: never input confidential information or significant portions of intellectual property you do not have the rights or permissions to. All content entered may become part of the tool’s dataset.
Identify how you have used these tools in the creation of your work: Keep a record of prompts and any intellectual property you have used in the creation of output. Review attribution guidelines according to the style guide you are using (refer to the Generative AI citations ).
This page is adapted from the University of Toronto’s “Generative AI Tools and Copyright Considerations. All content on this page is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.