Two 80-something journalists, Nicholas Gage and Nicholas Basbanes, have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that the companies have unlawfully used their copyrighted work to train AI chatbots like ChatGPT. Gage, known for his investigative reporting, and Basbanes, a writer focused on literary culture, claim that their extensive writing has been repurposed without permission or compensation.
The lawsuit, part of a broader case involving well-known authors like John Grisham and Jodi Picoult, raises concerns about the impact of AI technology on the creative industry. The legal battle centers on the claim that OpenAI and Microsoft have extracted content from human writings to train AI models, infringing on copyright laws and devaluing the efforts of writers.
While the technology companies argue that their practices are protected under the fair use doctrine of U.S. copyright laws, writers like Gage and Basbanes emphasize the value of original, labor-intensive content creation. They believe that AI’s ability to replicate human-like text poses a threat to traditional journalism and storytelling.
The lawsuit, still in the discovery stage, is expected to continue into 2025, highlighting the complex legal and ethical implications of AI technology in the creative landscape. Gage and Basbanes, motivated by their lifelong dedication to writing, hope to safeguard the future of their craft by challenging the appropriation of their work by AI systems.
As the legal battle unfolds, writers, publishers, and technology companies are grappling with the evolving relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence. The outcome of these cases could have far-reaching consequences for the future of journalism, literature, and intellectual property rights in the digital age.
