On Tuesday, a lawsuit was filed in a New York federal court by eight US newspapers against OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing the tech giants of unlawfully using their copyrighted content. The newspapers, including The New York Daily News and The Chicago Tribune, are owned by Alden Global Capital’s MediaNews Group and Tribune Publishing.
“This lawsuit arises from defendants purloining millions of the publishers’ copyrighted articles without permission and without payment to fuel the commercialization of their generative artificial intelligence products, including ChatGPT and (Microsoft’s) Copilot,” the complaint said.The newspapers argue that the use of their content by these companies should be with the publishers’ consent and appropriate compensation.
The suit also claims that OpenAI and Microsoft’s AI systems not only reproduce news articles verbatim but also create misleading or inaccurate articles attributed to the publications. Examples cited include a fictitious Denver Post article promoting smoking as an asthma treatment and a fake Chicago Tribune recommendation for an infant lounger that was recalled due to safety concerns.
OpenAI responded, stating that it prioritizes supporting news organizations and has established “constructive partnerships” with global news outlets. However, Microsoft has chosen not to comment on the ongoing litigation.
The lawsuit is part of a broader trend of copyright disputes involving tech companies and the use of data to train AI systems. Similar cases have been filed by other news organizations, including The New York Times.
The newspapers involved in this lawsuit, such as The Orlando Sentinel, The Sun Sentinel of Florida, The San Jose Mercury News, The Denver Post, The Orange County Register, and The St.\ Paul Pioneer Press, are seeking unspecified monetary damages and an injunction to prevent further infringement.
(With inputs from agencies)
“This lawsuit arises from defendants purloining millions of the publishers’ copyrighted articles without permission and without payment to fuel the commercialization of their generative artificial intelligence products, including ChatGPT and (Microsoft’s) Copilot,” the complaint said.The newspapers argue that the use of their content by these companies should be with the publishers’ consent and appropriate compensation.
The suit also claims that OpenAI and Microsoft’s AI systems not only reproduce news articles verbatim but also create misleading or inaccurate articles attributed to the publications. Examples cited include a fictitious Denver Post article promoting smoking as an asthma treatment and a fake Chicago Tribune recommendation for an infant lounger that was recalled due to safety concerns.
OpenAI responded, stating that it prioritizes supporting news organizations and has established “constructive partnerships” with global news outlets. However, Microsoft has chosen not to comment on the ongoing litigation.
The lawsuit is part of a broader trend of copyright disputes involving tech companies and the use of data to train AI systems. Similar cases have been filed by other news organizations, including The New York Times.
The newspapers involved in this lawsuit, such as The Orlando Sentinel, The Sun Sentinel of Florida, The San Jose Mercury News, The Denver Post, The Orange County Register, and The St.\ Paul Pioneer Press, are seeking unspecified monetary damages and an injunction to prevent further infringement.
(With inputs from agencies)