Eight leading U.S. newspaper publishers have taken legal action against tech giants Microsoft and OpenAI, filing a lawsuit in a New York federal court. The publishers, all owned by hedge fund Alden Global Capital, including prominent names such as the New York Daily News, the Chicago Tribune, and others, allege copyright infringement. The lawsuit claims that Microsoft and OpenAI have been using their articles without permission in generative artificial intelligence (AI) products and attributing inaccurate information to them.
The publishers argue that OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot AI tools have been generating near-verbatim copies of their copyrighted works without authorization or compensation. These AI tools are integrated into various products, including Microsoft’s Windows operating system and Bing search engine. OpenAI responded by highlighting their efforts to engage with news organizations to explore partnerships and address any concerns regarding the use of AI tools like ChatGPT.
This latest legal challenge is part of a series of lawsuits against OpenAI and Microsoft over copyright infringement related to the use of AI technology. It follows previous lawsuits from nonfiction authors and media companies accusing the companies of utilizing their content without permission. OpenAI has faced criticism for allegedly deviating from its original mission of responsible AI development and is currently engaged in legal battles with prominent figures such as Elon Musk.
As these legal disputes unfold, OpenAI continues to seek partnerships with news organizations to enhance its AI models and improve the news experience for readers. The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for how technology companies interact with copyrighted content in the future.
