# ChatGPT generates New Yorker-style cartoons with real cartoonists' signatures without permission

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-10-06T08:05:03Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/chatgpt-fakes-new-yorker-cartoonists-signatures-in-viral-images

## Summary

ChatGPT has been producing New Yorker-style cartoons that include the signatures of real cartoonists such as Brendan Loper, Harry Bliss, and Emily Flake, without their consent. The images have gone viral on social media, with one version receiving 25,000 likes on Twitter. Cartoonists say the use of their names feels like a violation of personhood and intellectual property, even as OpenAI claims it is addressing the issue after being notified. The New Yorker’s parent company, Condé Nast, has a licensing deal with OpenAI but says it did not permit training on cartoons, and artist contracts do not allow AI training use. Legal experts note that while style mimicry may fall under fair use, reproducing signatures could raise right of publicity concerns. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between AI training data practices and creators’ rights.

## Key points

- ChatGPT generated cartoons signed by over 15 New Yorker cartoonists without permission
- One viral cartoon received 25,000 likes on Twitter after being shared by a Dolly Parton fan
- OpenAI says it added a warning after being notified but still generates some signed cartoons

## Why it matters

The case underscores how AI models can reproduce personal identifiers like signatures, raising legal and ethical questions about consent, attribution, and the impact on creators’ livelihoods in the age of generative AI.

## Sources

1. [ChatGPT is not only using New Yorker cartoonists' style but also adding their signatures to the fake cartoons it creates, which have gone viral on social media](https://niemanlab.org/2026/10/chatgpt-is-adding-real-cartoonists-signatures-to-fake-new-yorker-cartoons) (niemanlab.org, 2026-10-06)

## Cite

Digest AI, "ChatGPT generates New Yorker-style cartoons with real cartoonists' signatures without permission", 6 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/chatgpt-fakes-new-yorker-cartoonists-signatures-in-viral-images

---

Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record. Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse
JSON: https://digestai.news/story/chatgpt-fakes-new-yorker-cartoonists-signatures-in-viral-images.json