OpenAI Faces Lawsuit: Writers Allege Unauthorized Use of Content for AI Chatbot
OpenAI, the prominent artificial intelligence research laboratory, is facing a lawsuit from a group of writers who claim that the company unlawfully used their content to train its AI ChatGPT chatbot. The writers, including Michael Chabon, David Henry Hwang, Rachel Louise Snyder, and Ayelet Waldman, argue that OpenAI has benefited financially from the unauthorized and illegal use of their copyrighted works.
Seeking class-action status, the lawsuit specifically targets ChatGPT’s ability to summarize and analyze the authors’ content, which the plaintiffs argue is only feasible if OpenAI trained its GPT large language model using their works. The lawsuit goes on to assert that the outputs generated by ChatGPT are essentially derivative works that infringe upon their copyrights.
According to the legal filing, the authors claim that OpenAI’s acts of copyright infringement were deliberate and willful, displaying callous disregard for their rights and the rights of other potential class members. The lawsuit further alleges that OpenAI was fully aware that the datasets used to train its GPT models contained copyrighted materials and that its actions violated the terms of use associated with those materials.
Notably, Michael Chabon, the acclaimed author of works such as The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, was among over 10,000 authors who signed an open letter demanding companies like OpenAI, Meta, and Google to obtain consent, provide credit, and ensure fair compensation for using authors’ works in AI model training.
This lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal actions taken by authors against OpenAI regarding its training data. In July, comedian Sarah Silverman joined writers Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey in a lawsuit accusing OpenAI and Meta of copyright infringement. Authors Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad had previously sued OpenAI on similar grounds in June.
The lawsuit also calls upon the court to halt OpenAI from engaging in unlawful and unfair business practices. Furthermore, the authors are seeking damages for copyright violations and other penalties. The Verge contacted OpenAI for comment, but no immediate response was received.
It is evident that OpenAI is facing mounting legal challenges related to the use of copyrighted materials in training its AI models. These lawsuits highlight a growing concern among authors regarding fair compensation and recognition for their intellectual property. As the legal battles unfold, industry observers are closely monitoring the outcomes and potential implications for the use of copyrighted works within AI research and development.
