The New York Times sues OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement

The lawsuit by NYT might challenge how the law applies to generative AI tech.

The New York Times has said that it has initiated a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, marking a new chapter in the legal conflict surrounding the unapproved utilisation of published content for training artificial intelligence systems.

NYT is the first major American media entity to take legal action against companies, including the creators of ChatGPT and other prominent AI platforms, regarding copyright matters linked to its written content.

Filed in the Federal District Court in Manhattan, the lawsuit alleges that millions of articles from The Times were utilised to train automated chatbots. These chatbots are now seen as rivals to the news outlet, offering information that competes with The Times as a purportedly reliable source.

The lawsuit does not include any monetary demand. It states that the defendants should be accountable for 'billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages' due to the unauthorised copying and utilisation of The Times' distinctive content.

Furthermore, it demands the companies to eliminate any chatbot models and training data derived from copyrighted material sourced from The Times.

The complaint mentions that back in April, Times talked to Microsoft and OpenAI regarding its content being used without permission. They wanted to find a friendly solution by making a deal and setting rules for how AI could use the stuff. But it didn't solve the problem.

On the other hand, OpenAI's spokeswoman, Lindsey Held, mentioned that the company had been having positive talks with The Times and expressed surprise and disappointment regarding the lawsuit.