OpenAI has lodged an accusation against The New York Times, alleging unauthorized access into its ChatGPT chatbot and other AI systems to generate evidence for a copyright lawsuit. The accusation, filed in a federal court in Manhattan, asserts that The New York Times engaged in deceptive practices by providing prompts that violated OpenAI’s terms of use. OpenAI argues that The Times induced its technology to reproduce copyrighted material through questionable methods, hinting at the possibility that the newspaper paid an individual to manipulate the AI systems.
In retaliation, The New York Times has filed a copyright lawsuit against OpenAI and its primary investor, Microsoft. The lawsuit contends that OpenAI and Microsoft utilized millions of articles without proper authorization to train chatbots for information dissemination. OpenAI’s defense rests on the assertion that the use of copyrighted content for training AI systems falls under fair use laws. The outcome of this legal battle could establish significant precedents regarding the interaction between copyright law and artificial intelligence.
This lawsuit reflects a broader trend where copyright owners are resorting to legal action against tech companies over alleged copyright violations in AI training. While OpenAI has been engaged in negotiations with publishers to obtain legal access to their content and has secured agreements with several media outlets, responses from both The New York Times and OpenAI regarding the recent filing remain pending.
The New York Times has presented compelling evidence showcasing instances where products from OpenAI and Microsoft have produced near word-for-word excerpts of articles upon prompting. This phenomenon raises concerns about the potential erosion of media’s financial sustainability if readers opt for AI-generated content over direct sources. The outcome of this case will be closely monitored, as it could shape future policies and practices in AI development and the ethical utilization of digital content.
