OpenAI and Microsoft find themselves at the center of a new legal battle as they are sued over allegations of misusing the work of nonfiction authors in training their artificial intelligence models. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, is led by author and Hollywood Reporter editor Julian Sancton, who claims that tens of thousands of nonfiction books were copied without permission to train AI models, including those behind OpenAI’s popular chatbot, ChatGPT.
This legal action is part of a broader trend where copyright owners, including notable authors like John Grisham, George R.R. Martin, and Jonathan Franzen, are taking tech companies to court over the alleged misuse of their works for training AI systems. Despite repeated denials from the companies involved, these lawsuits underscore the increasing tension between intellectual property rights and the advancement of artificial intelligence.
Julian Sancton’s complaint is particularly noteworthy as it not only targets OpenAI but also names Microsoft as a defendant. Microsoft has heavily invested in OpenAI, pumping billions of dollars into the AI startup and integrating its systems into Microsoft products. This lawsuit shines a spotlight on the extent of Microsoft’s involvement in the alleged copyright infringement.
OpenAI, known for its contributions to the field of artificial intelligence, has been accused of copying nonfiction books, including Sancton’s “Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night,” to train its GPT large language models. The lawsuit argues that while OpenAI and Microsoft benefit from the AI platform, they refuse to compensate nonfiction authors for the use of their copyrighted works.
A spokesperson for OpenAI chose not to comment on the lawsuit, citing pending litigation, while representatives for Microsoft have yet to respond to requests for comment. Justin Nelson, Sancton’s attorney, stated, “While OpenAI and Microsoft refuse to pay nonfiction authors, their AI platform is worth a fortune. The basis of OpenAI is nothing less than the rampant theft of copyrighted works.”
Sancton is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order to block the alleged infringement. As this legal battle unfolds, it raises critical questions about the ethical use of copyrighted material in training AI models and the responsibilities of tech companies toward content creators. The outcome of this case could set a precedent for future disputes at the intersection of artificial intelligence and intellectual property law.
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