A consortium of newspapers, including major names like the New York Daily News and the Chicago Tribune, has filed a lawsuit against tech giant Microsoft and OpenAI. Allegations, contained in the lawsuit filed in New York Federal Court, include that the companies unlawfully used the newspaper content to train their generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
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Previous Legal Actions and Financial Backing
This legal action follows similar ongoing lawsuits against Microsoft and OpenAI by other news outlets including The New York Times, The Intercept, Raw Story, and Alternate. One interesting point to note is that the OpenAI has received substantial backing from Microsoft, adding to the complications in the legal battle.
In response to the lawsuit, an OpenAI spokesperson emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting news organizations in their product and design processes.
Legal Implications
These lawsuits mark a significant legal battle between copyright owners and tech giants over the use of data to train their generative AI systems. Steven Lieberman, an attorney representing MediaNews Publications, claims that OpenAI’s success is attributable to the actions of others and accuses the defendants of attempting to withhold payments for copyrighted material.
Alleged Harm and Requested Relief
The lawsuit alleges that Microsoft and OpenAI’s AI systems reproduce newspapers’ copyrighted content. Furthermore, it has been claimed that ChatGPT produces false articles in the name of newspapers, potentially damaging their reputations. Examples cited include a fake Denver Post article advocating smoking as a cure for asthma and a fabricated Chicago Tribune recommendation for a recalled infant lounger linked to child deaths.
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Plaintiffs and Demands
The New York Daily News and Chicago Tribune are also listed as plaintiffs, along with other newspapers such as the Orlando Sentinel, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, San Jose Mercury News, Orange County Register and Twin Cities Pioneer Press. At stake is a sum of money that was not specified and an injunction to prevent any further infringement of the plaintiff’s copyright-protected material.
