Seattle Times and Newsday sue OpenAI and Microsoft over AI training

In short: The Seattle Times and Newsday have sued OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming their news stories were used to train AI without permission.

What happened

The Seattle Times and Newsday filed a lawsuit saying OpenAI and Microsoft used their journalism to help build and improve AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. Training an AI model is like teaching it by showing it lots of examples, similar to how a student learns by reading many books and articles.

In the complaint, the publishers argue that these AI products can create writing that copies or closely imitates the original reporting. The lawsuit warns that if this continues, it could weaken the news business, because the same organizations that pay reporters could lose readers and revenue.

This case follows earlier lawsuits from other publishers. The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft in 2023 over similar copyright claims, and more outlets have taken legal action since then. The Seattle Times lawsuit stands out because Microsoft and OpenAI have funded some Seattle Times journalism projects and fellowships in the past.

Microsoft responded to the lawsuit in a statement to GeekWire. A spokesperson said the company was surprised, and that it is willing to sit down and look for solutions.

Why it matters

These lawsuits are part of a bigger fight over who should get paid when AI systems learn from online writing. If courts decide that AI companies must license news content, it could change how chatbots are built and how much they cost. It could also affect whether news organizations can protect their work, and keep paying for local and investigative reporting.

Source: TechCrunch AI