Newspapers sue OpenAI and Microsoft over alleged copyright misuse
The Seattle Times and Newsday have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming their journalism was used without permission to train AI models. They allege the chatbots reproduce passages from their reporting, costing them subscription revenue. The publishers seek destruction of datasets and models incorporating their work.
The two publications allege that their reporting was used without authorization to train AI systems, and that these systems can regurgitate exact passages from their articles. They are asking the court to order the deletion of any stored copies, training datasets, and AI models that contain their copyrighted content. Microsoft is included because its Copilot assistant relies on OpenAI's underlying technology.
This action follows a series of similar legal challenges from major media entities and reference publishers. It also aligns with a recent mass filing by hundreds of local newspapers against the same tech firms. Neither OpenAI nor Microsoft has issued a public statement regarding this specific complaint yet.
The outcome could reshape the economics of both journalism and AI development. If publishers prevail, AI firms may face significant costs to rebuild models or negotiate licensing fees, potentially slowing innovation and raising subscription prices for consumers. Conversely, a ruling favoring the tech companies might accelerate the decline of traditional news revenue, as chatbots continue to provide instant answers without directing traffic to original sources. This legal battle may ultimately determine who profits from journalistic labor in the AI era.