《The New York Times》On December 27, US timeMicrosoftandOpenAIThe lawsuit was filed on the grounds that the two companies used their articles to trainChatGPTArtificial Intelligence (AI)Chatbots, infringing its copyright. This reflects the growing tension between the media and artificial intelligence technology that has the potential to disrupt the news industry.
The New York Times reportedly claims that millions of its copyrighted articles were used to train the two companies' automated chatbots, which are now considered credible sources of information and in direct competition with news organizations such as the New York Times, resulting in billions of dollars in legal and actual damages. However, the New York Times did not ask for a specific amount of damages in the lawsuit. In addition, the New York Times also asked the two companies to destroy any chatbot models and training data that used the copyrighted materials of the New York Times.
"If Microsoft and OpenAI want to use our work for commercial purposes, the law requires them to first obtain our permission," a New York Times spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "They did not do so." In addition, The New York Times asked the two companies to destroy any chatbot models and training data that used the New York Times' copyrighted materials. Microsoft and OpenAI have not yet responded to this matter.
The New York Times also said that it had contacted Microsoft and OpenAI in April this year, expressing concerns about the two companies' use of its intellectual property-protected content and exploring the possibility of "an amicable solution," which could include a commercial agreement and "technical restrictions" around generative AI products. However, the negotiations did not result in a solution.
"We respect the rights of content creators and owners and are committed to working with them to ensure they benefit from AI technology and new revenue models," an OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement. "Our ongoing dialogue with The New York Times is productive and moving forward constructively, so we are surprised and disappointed by this development." Microsoft declined to comment.
In July, OpenAI reportedly reached an agreement with the Associated Press to access some of the news agency's archives. In December, OpenAI reached a three-year agreement with German media company Axel Springer SE to use the latter's work for an undisclosed amount. "We hope to find a mutually beneficial way to work together, as we do with many other publishers," an OpenAI spokesperson said on Wednesday.