Disney and Universal sued popular artificial intelligence image-generator Midjourney on Wednesday. This is the first time major Hollywood companies have taken legal action against a maker of generative AI technology that could upend the entertainment industry.

Disney and Universal are suing artificial intelligence (AI) firm Midjourney over its image generator, which the Hollywood giants allege is a "bottomless pit of plagiarism". The two studios claim Midjourney's tool makes "innumerable" copies of characters including Darth Vader from Star Wars, Frozen's Elsa, and the Minions from Despicable Me.

Disney and Universal have filed a lawsuit against an AI company over use of their copyrighted characters to create facsimiles that could be used to damage the companies' intellectual property.