"Legal Battle Unfolds: New York Times Files Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Microsoft, Alleging Copyright Infringement"

 New York Times Takes Legal Action, Files Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Microsoft

The renowned U.S. newspaper initiates legal proceedings, accusing OpenAI and Microsoft of unauthorized use of millions of its articles to train chatbots. The New York Times has filed a lawsuit in the federal court in Manhattan, asserting that the companies' powerful artificial intelligence (AI) models unlawfully employed its content for training purposes. The newspaper claims that copyright infringements, particularly in relation to its articles, could amount to billions of dollars.

The lawsuit contends that OpenAI and Microsoft, by utilizing The Times's work, are advancing their AI technology in a manner that competes with the newspaper, posing a threat to its ability to provide journalistic services. The companies, through their AI chatbots, are alleged to be capitalizing on The Times's substantial investment in journalism without authorization or compensation, creating substitute products.

The Times, a highly respected news organization in the United States, seeks damages and a court order compelling the companies to cease using its content and delete already harvested data. While no specific monetary amount is specified, the newspaper suggests that the infringement could result in "billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages.

Diverging from media peers like Germany's Axel Springer and The Associated Press, The New York Times takes a confrontational approach to the growing influence of AI chatbots. In response to the surge in AI technologies, other media groups have opted for content deals with OpenAI; however, The New York Times has chosen a different path, filing a lawsuit against both OpenAI and its major investor, Microsoft.

As the world's second-largest company by market capitalization, Microsoft rapidly integrated AI capabilities into its products following the release of ChatGPT last year. The AI models powering ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot were trained over years on internet content under the assumption that it could be used without compensation.

The lawsuit contends that the unauthorized use of The Times's work to develop AI products poses a direct threat to the newspaper's ability to deliver quality journalism. The Times claims it engaged in talks with Microsoft and OpenAI in April, expressing concerns about the use of its intellectual property and seeking a resolution. During the discussions, the newspaper aimed to ensure fair compensation for its content, foster a healthy news ecosystem, and promote responsible development of GenAI technology for the benefit of society and an informed public.