Creative Commons Launches ‘CC Signals’ to Help Photographers Control AI Use of Their Images

Creative Commons has launched a new framework that allows data holders — including photographers — to specify how their content can or cannot be reused by machines, such as in the training of AI models.

Creative Commons, the nonprofit organization known for its open licenses that enable people to share and reuse content, such as photos, writing, and music, while retaining copyright, is now turning its attention to the challenges and opportunities presented by the AI era.

In a blog post on Wednesday, Creative Commons announced the launch of a framework called “CC Signals” to allow individuals who own data such as images to clearly express how they want that data to be used by AI — especially by the companies training AI systems.

Inspired by the same principles that shaped Creative Commons’ open licensing system, which has been used on billions of works online, the nonprofit says the new tool will offer a limited set of clear options for reuse, with an emphasis on transparency and ethical practice.

“CC signals are designed to sustain the commons in the age of AI,” Anna Tumadóttir, CEO of Creative Commons, says in the blog post. “Just as the CC licenses helped build the open web, we believe CC signals will help shape an open AI ecosystem grounded in reciprocity.”

The organization’s launch of the project coincides with a growing debate about how AI models are trained and the role that publicly available content should play. Creative Commons positions CC Signals as a middle-ground alternative to unrestricted data harvesting and closed, paywalled systems on the internet.

“If we are committed to a future where knowledge remains open, we need to collectively insist on a new kind of give-and-take,” Sarah Hinchliff Pearson, General Counsel of Creative Commons, says in the announcement. “A single preference, uniquely expressed, is inconsequential in the machine age. But together, we can demand a different way.”

The CC Signals project is actively seeking public feedback and input over the next few months as they work toward an alpha launch in November 2025. More information about CC signals and early design decisions are available on the Creative Commons website.