Authors Accuse OpenAI and Microsoft of Copyright Infringement
Authors Join Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Microsoft
A lawsuit in Manhattan federal court has been joined by a group of 11 nonfiction authors, accusing OpenAI and Microsoft of misusing their books to train various artificial intelligence models, including OpenAI’s popular chatbot, ChatGPT. The authors claim their copyrights have been infringed, and they seek compensation for damages.
Pulitzer Prize Winners Amongst Alleging Authors
The writers include Pulitzer Prize winners Taylor Branch, Stacy Schiff, and Kai Bird, known for their J. Robert Oppenheimer biography “American Prometheus,” later adapted into the hit film “Oppenheimer.” They allege that their works were used to train OpenAI’s large language models without permission, leading to copyright infringement.
Microsoft Named As Defendant
A new development in the lawsuit against OpenAI involves Microsoft being named as a defendant. Microsoft’s substantial investment in OpenAI and integration of its systems into its products have implicated the tech giant in copyright infringement allegations.
OpenAI and Microsoft Accused of Unauthorized Use
The amended complaint filed in the lawsuit claims that OpenAI “scraped” the authors’ works from the internet, along with other copyrighted material, without permission. The lawsuit also alleges that Microsoft has played a significant role in training and developing the models and is thus liable for copyright infringement.
Authors Seek Damages and Relief
The authors involved in the lawsuit are seeking monetary damages for the unauthorized use of their works and an order for OpenAI and Microsoft to cease infringing their copyrights. The case is part of a series of lawsuits brought by copyright owners against tech companies for alleged misuse of their work in artificial intelligence training.
It’s unclear how this ongoing legal battle will unfold, but it underscores the growing tensions between content creators and tech companies leveraging AI for their products.
