> If that were true, a developer may own copyright over the source code, but nothing on the compiled binaries, and I could download practically all software available as compiled binaries and use for free.
If the compiled binaries (output) were produced by running the input (source code) over every program written, then sure.
But that's not what's happening with compilers, is it? The output of a prompt is dependent on copyrighted work of others every single time it is run.
The output of a compiler is not dependent on the copyright output of every other program.
I think your comments are originating in how I may have taken jacquesm's comment too literally, as I just wrote here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47944938
However:
1. The "every"ies in your comment are not to be taken literally either. :-)
>> If the compiled binaries (output) were produced by running the input (source code) over every program written, then sure.
2. More importantly, the above seems cyclically dependent on whether output from generative AI is deemed to be in public domain or not, which I consider is an open-ended issue as of now. It is not so 'sure' as yet. :-)