Is it legal to use AI-generated images for commercial use like selling t-shirts?

The legality of using AI-generated images commercially is a gray area in 2025, but the short answer is that you can't copyright them in the US, which means anyone can legally copy and sell your AI designs. The US Copyright Office has been clear on this. They've repeatedly ruled that works created entirely by AI without meaningful human authorship can't be copyrighted. A famous example is the graphic novel 'Zarya of the Dawn.' The artist got copyright for the text and layout but was denied protection for the individual AI-generated images. So if you use Midjourney to design a t-shirt graphic, you can sell it. But you can't stop anyone else from taking that exact design and selling it on their own shirts. There's also a separate legal headache brewing. Several AI companies are being sued by artists who claim their copyrighted work was used to train the models without permission. Getty Images sued Stability AI. A group of visual artists filed a class action against Midjourney and DeviantArt. If these lawsuits succeed, it could change the rules about what you're allowed to sell. My practical advice? Use AI as a starting point, not the final product. Heavily edit the output, combine it with your own elements, and document your creative process. That human contribution is what might eventually qualify for copyright protection. **Related**: Can I copyright AI art if I edit it? | What AI image generators are safe to use commercially?