A coalition of eight prominent U.S. newspapers has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that the tech giants have unlawfully used millions of copyrighted articles to train their AI chatbots without permission or compensation.
The Lawsuit’s Core Allegations
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in a New York federal court, includes major publications such as the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, and Denver Post. The newspapers assert that OpenAI and Microsoft have been “purloining millions” of their copyrighted news articles to enhance the capabilities of AI models like ChatGPT.
“We’ve spent billions of dollars gathering information and reporting news at our publications,” stated Frank Pine, executive editor for the MediaNews Group and Tribune Publishing. “We can’t allow OpenAI and Microsoft to expand the Big Tech playbook of stealing our work to build their own businesses at our expense.”
Publications Involved
Besides the aforementioned newspapers, the lawsuit includes MediaNews Group’s Mercury News, Orange County Register, and St. Paul Pioneer-Press, as well as Tribune Publishing’s Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel. All newspapers involved are owned by Alden Global Capital.
Responses from OpenAI and Microsoft
Microsoft declined to comment on the lawsuit when approached on Tuesday. OpenAI, however, issued a statement emphasizing its efforts to support news organizations.
“While we were not previously aware of Alden Global Capital’s concerns, we are actively engaged in constructive partnerships and conversations with many news organizations around the world to explore opportunities, discuss any concerns, and provide solutions,” OpenAI stated.
Previous Legal Challenges
This lawsuit adds to the growing list of legal challenges faced by OpenAI and Microsoft over alleged copyright infringements. Both companies are already contending with lawsuits filed by the New York Times, other media outlets, and bestselling authors like John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, and George R.R. Martin. Additionally, they face similar legal actions in a federal court in San Francisco.
The Debate Over “Fair Use”
Tech companies have often defended the practice of using publicly accessible internet content to train AI systems under the “fair use” doctrine of American copyright law. In some instances, they have mitigated potential legal disputes by compensating organizations for their content. However, the boundaries of fair use in the context of AI training data remain a contentious legal and ethical issue.
Implications for the Tech and Media Industries
The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant ramifications for both the technology and media sectors. As AI continues to advance, the balance between innovation and intellectual property rights becomes increasingly critical. Media organizations are keen to protect their investments in journalism, while tech companies seek to develop cutting-edge AI tools that often rely on vast amounts of existing content.
Reference(s):
U.S. newspapers sue OpenAI, Microsoft for copyright infringement
cgtn.com
