ChatGPT Adds a Real Cartoonist's Signature to Generated Illustrations
If a model copies a working artist's signature on an image that artist did not draw, the signature stops being proof of authorship, and that is a concrete commercial problem rather than an abstract debate about training data.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
ChatGPT-generated images that mimic New Yorker cartoons have carried the signature of Brendan Loper, a cartoonist whose work appears in the magazine. Loper told Nieman Journalism Lab he received emails asking whether the illustration was his, and said more than 15 New Yorker cartoonists have had their signatures replicated by ChatGPT. An OpenAI spokesperson told the outlet the company is focused on tools that support human creators and thanked users for reporting unintended behavior. OpenAI has since begun outputting a message that such a prompt may violate its guidelines.
The image spread in late August 2026, after Dolly Parton and Tim Curry died in quick succession. It showed Parton in a glittering dress, arm in arm with Curry in his Rocky Horror costume, passing through a heaven reception desk. The post drew attention for another reason: a signature reading "BLoper" sat in the lower right corner.
Brendan Loper draws cartoons published in The New Yorker. He did not draw that illustration, and he told Nieman Journalism Lab he had received emails asking whether the cartoon was his. OpenAI now returns a message saying such a prompt may violate its guidelines.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.