Getty Images files for US bankruptcy, advances restructuring plan - https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/getty-images-files-us-bankruptcy-advances-restructuring-plan-2026-10-21/
This all reads like some business-wizard shit to use some event (AI imagery in this case) as a rationale for making a company more profitable for it’s owners and shittier for the rest of us. As much as I dislike AI, I don’t see it taking a huge dent out of their income. If Getty was supported all this time by matte painting departments and meme generators, I’d be surprised.
I’ve done four jobs in the last six months where b-roll and stock footage has been generated and not bought from getty. I can see why they would file now and they need to figure out their own stock generator (trained on their inventory) to stay in business.
And I’m talking about commercials that are 100% “Stock” that would have been all getty images if made 6 months ago.
Getty images also announced a multi year partnership with OpenAI this year so I don’t think these are anything but crocodile tears