# Can I train an AI model on CC BY images?

**Short answer:** Model training: Needs review.

CC BY 4.0 grants broad rights to reproduce and adapt, with attribution.

## Model training — Needs review

License: [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode) (`CC-BY-4.0`, curated)

- Creative Commons licenses grant rights to reproduce and adapt the material, with conditions that apply when it or an adaptation is shared. Whether training a model creates an adaptation, and how attribution applies to a trained model or its output, is not settled; Creative Commons notes that training may also fall under exceptions such as fair use. A human reviewer should confirm this use for your case.

Duties: attribution, license_notice, state_changes, no_additional_restrictions

## Context
- Whether a trained model is an adaptation, and how attribution applies to it, is unsettled; Rightshold marks training for review instead of guessing.

## Sources
- [CC BY 4.0 legal code](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode)
- [Creative Commons on AI training](https://creativecommons.org/2023/08/18/understanding-cc-licenses-and-generative-ai/)

## Check it yourself (free, no key)
```json
{
  "tool": "check_license",
  "arguments": {
    "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
    "intended_use": {
      "model_training": true
    }
  }
}
```
REST: POST https://www.rightshold.com/v1/licenses/check

_Computed from Rightshold's license profiles; not legal advice. Updated 2026-10-19. JSON: https://www.rightshold.com/answers/can-i-train-ai-on-cc-by-images.json_