This study examines how generative AI (genAI) use can be understood according to theoretical frameworks explaining authority and authorship, situating use within historical and legal contexts shaped by emergent technologies. Like earlier technologies, genAI disrupts relationships among author, tool, labor, and expression, raising questions concerning agency, control, and intent. Using semi-structured interviews, this study explores users’ autonomy and attachment to human-AI co-created works, assessing alignment with US copyright law and alternative frameworks. Findings may reveal gaps between user experience and limitations on genAI use prescribed by institutional and public policies, suggesting a need to expand prevailing notions concerning authorship and authority.
