Publishers sue Google over alleged Gemini AI training on books

In short: A group of major publishers and authors has sued Google, saying it used copyrighted books to train its Gemini AI without permission.

What happened

A group that includes Hachette, Cengage, Elsevier, author Scott Turow, and S.C.R.I.B.E. filed a class action lawsuit against Google in federal court in New York. They claim Google copied their books and used them to train Gemini, Google’s AI system.

“Training” is the process of feeding an AI system lots of text so it can learn patterns (like teaching a student by having them read a giant library). The lawsuit says Google used books that were part of limited programs such as Google Books, where people can search and see short snippets, not full pages.

The plaintiffs also allege Google removed or changed copyright information to hide that Gemini was trained on what they call “stolen materials.” The complaint points to an internal Google document that reportedly warned using copyrighted books for AI training could be “highly problematic” and could lead to “$10Bs-$100Bs in potential fines.” TechCrunch reported Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This case is part of a wider wave of lawsuits from writers, publishers, and other rights holders against AI companies. Some early court decisions in California have favored AI companies by treating some AI training as “fair use,” which is a legal exception that can allow limited use of copyrighted work without permission.

Why it matters

These lawsuits could shape what AI companies are allowed to learn from, and whether creators get paid when their work is used. The outcome may also affect what kinds of tools and answers people get from AI products, including what information they can safely include.

Source: TechCrunch AI