The Times Sues OpenAI and Microsoft Over A.I. Use of Copyrighted Work
The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, claiming that millions of articles from The Times were used to train chatbots that now compete with the news outlet. The lawsuit raises questions about the legal boundaries of generative A.I. technologies and could have major implications for the news industry.
The Lawsuit
The New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, alleging that the companies used millions of articles from The Times to train chatbots that now serve as a source of reliable information. The lawsuit, filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan, raises legal questions about the use of copyrighted material in generative A.I. technologies.
The Times is seeking unspecified damages and also requests that the defendants destroy any chatbot models and training data that use copyrighted material from The Times. Microsoft and OpenAI have not yet commented on the case.
Implications for the News Industry
The lawsuit could have major implications for the news industry, which has seen a decline in revenue due to readers' migration to the internet. At the same time, A.I. tech firms like OpenAI and Microsoft have attracted billions of dollars in funding by using online texts, including newspaper articles, to train chatbots. The outcome of this lawsuit could shape the future of generative A.I. technologies and copyright laws.
The Times argues that the defendants are using its content without payment to create products that substitute for The Times and steal audiences away from it. This raises concerns about the uncompensated use of intellectual property by A.I. systems.
The Emerging Legal Frontier
The use of artificial intelligence is emerging as the latest frontier in copyright law. A.I. systems have the ability to mimic natural language and generate sophisticated written responses by learning from large data sets. This has raised concerns in creative industries, as seen in lawsuits involving actors, authors, and photography syndicates. The outcome of this lawsuit could lead to a Supreme Court decision that shapes copyright laws in the context of A.I. technologies.
While some technology companies argue that exposing A.I. companies to copyright liability could hinder their development and innovation, others, like The New York Times, are taking a stand to protect their intellectual property and preserve the integrity of independent journalism. The resolution of this case will have significant implications for the future of A.I. and the media industry.
