Two US news outlets sue OpenAI and Microsoft over copyright
The media organisations allege unauthorised use of their articles to train artificial intelligence models.
3 days ago
5 September, 18:221 min read
Two more influential US news publications have launched legal action against artificial intelligence giants OpenAI and Microsoft over copyright infringement.
As reported by Engadget, the lawsuits were brought by prominent media organisations The Seattle Times and Newsday. Both outlets accuse the tech companies of using their journalistic work and articles to train AI models without obtaining the necessary permission.
Media outlets' claims
According to the filing, the tech companies used copyrighted content to build their AI systems without securing consent or offering any financial compensation. Representatives from the publications highlighted that such practices harm independent journalism and breach existing laws.
This is not the first time media organisations have taken legal action against OpenAI and Microsoft. As artificial intelligence advances, the legal debate surrounding whether using publicly accessible articles and publications for AI model training is lawful has become increasingly intense.
What this means for the industry
The lawsuits from The Seattle Times and Newsday add to the mounting legal challenges confronting tech giants. While AI industry leaders maintain that utilising public data for training falls under fair use principles, media companies strongly contest this stance.
The resolution of these legal disputes could substantially alter how AI companies operate, potentially compelling them to sign formal licensing agreements with media organisations to use their content.