(WHNT) — What would the world of technology be without a few hiccups amid exponential growth, right? Artificial intelligence company Stability AI, Inc. is learning that lesson firsthand after stock photo giant Getty Images filed a lawsuit against the company.

The 36-page lawsuit, filed last week, alleges the AI company, in addition to other similar services, uses images to train its software so subscribers can generate new images without the need for artistic talent.

“This case arises from Stability AI’s brazen infringement of Getty Images’ intellectual property on a staggering scale,” the lawsuit reads.

Stability AI, whose website declares, “AI by the people, for the people,” is being accused of misusing “more than 12 million” Getty photos in order to train its “Stable Diffusion” established in London, an AI-based system that generates images from text inputs image-generation system.

AI images are usually created after a user inserts a prompt phrase into the software, often telling it to replicate the style of a certain artist without that artist’s prior approval.

In the lawsuit, Getty Images claims that Stability AI copied millions of photos without a license, then used those photos to train Stable Diffusion in order to produce a more accurate result from user prompts.

Pictures from Getty were said to be “particularly valuable” for training AI because of the image quality, variety of subject matter and detailed metadata, the lawsuit said, adding that the stock photo household name has already licensed “millions of suitable digital assets” to “other leading technology innovators” for AI-related intents.

Getty, along with demanding a jury trial, has asked the court to put a halt to Stability’s use of its pictures, and requested monetary damages that include any profits the company gained from the alleged infringements.

Experts suggest the lawsuit could be pivotal for the industry moving forward, along with the future of fair use agreements.