Getty Images announced a multi-year display agreement with OpenAI on June 21, integrating its licensed content into ChatGPT’s search and discovery experiences. This partnership means that user queries requiring images within ChatGPT may now display licensed Getty photographs. The market reacted positively to the news, with Getty shares spiking significantly in premarket trading.
The agreement allows ChatGPT to use Getty’s visual content, potentially replacing synthetic images with licensed photographs. This collaboration follows a period where Getty’s stock had fallen by more than half. The financial terms, revenue split, and specific duration of the “multi-year” deal were not disclosed in the announcement.
A notable omission from the press release concerns whether Getty’s images may be used to train future OpenAI models. This detail is significant given Getty’s prior legal actions regarding image training. The company previously sued Stability AI, alleging that approximately 12 million of its images were used without permission to train an image generator.
Getty’s legal challenge against Stability AI did not fully succeed. In November 2025, the UK High Court largely rejected Getty’s central copyright claim, finding only narrow liability on a trademark point. This outcome contrasts with Getty’s previous stance on image usage for AI training.
The absence of explicit language regarding training in the OpenAI deal stands in contrast to Getty’s prior agreement with Perplexity. The arrangement with Perplexity explicitly prohibited the use of Getty’s content for training purposes. The current OpenAI release licenses the display of pictures but remains silent on the right Getty spent years and considerable legal fees attempting to defend in court.
The stock market’s reaction saw Getty shares rise, though the company’s stock trades below a dollar. This makes large percentage gains appear more substantial than they might be for higher-priced stocks. Approximately 17% of Getty’s float is sold short, with days-to-cover near 4.6, conditions that can amplify the impact of positive news.
The implications for Getty’s 600,000 contributors remain unclear, particularly concerning the potential use of their images for AI model training. The company has not publicly addressed how this agreement might affect contributor rights or compensation related to training data.
Future developments will likely focus on any clarifications regarding the training aspect of the Getty Images and OpenAI partnership. The market and contributors will watch for further details on financial terms and the long-term strategy for content usage in AI development.