Several publishers, including News Corp, have reportedly held talks with OpenAI to license their content amid legal issues regarding third-party content being used to train artificial intelligence models. The news comes in the midst of a lawsuit filed by The New York Times Company, alleging copyright infringement by Microsoft and OpenAI for illegally using the newspaper’s content to train AI models.
The lawsuit, filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan, claims that millions of articles from The Times were utilized for training AI models without proper authorization. While the lawsuit does not specify a monetary amount, it states that Microsoft and OpenAI should be held accountable for billions in statutory and actual damages.
In a separate lawsuit, a group of nonfiction writers accused OpenAI and Microsoft of misusing their books for training AI models. OpenAI has recently entered into other partnerships as well, including one with publishing company Axel Springer and another with The Associated Press to license their content for training purposes.
OpenAI and News Corp, along with Gannett and IAC, have not yet commented on the talks or the recent lawsuits. The negotiations with OpenAI to license content highlight the increasing importance of obtaining proper rights to use third-party materials in AI model training.
As the legal battles surrounding copyright infringement in AI training continue, publishers are seeking to protect their intellectual property while exploring potential licensing agreements to benefit from the growing demand for content to train AI systems. OpenAI’s willingness to engage in these discussions signals the company’s commitment to addressing the concerns surrounding the use of third-party content in AI development.
With the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, the issue of copyright infringement in training data is likely to remain a key point of contention. The outcome of these legal battles will shape the future of AI development and determine the responsibilities of technology companies in obtaining proper licensing and authorization for content usage.
It remains to be seen how News Corp and other publishers will navigate these talks with OpenAI and whether they can arrive at mutually beneficial agreements that address the legal concerns surrounding content licensing for AI model training. The evolving landscape of AI and copyright law will continue to shape the way organizations approach the utilization of third-party content to fuel technological advancements.
