In a recent development, The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, and Microsoft, headed by Satya Nadella. The newspaper alleges copyright infringement related to the use of large language models (LLMs) that power OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot.
Nature of Allegations
According to IANS, the lawsuit claims that these LLMs can generate content that either replicates Times articles, closely summarizes them, or mimics the distinctive expressive style of The Times. According to the complaint, this damages the relationship between The Times and its readers and results in the loss of crucial revenue streams, including subscriptions, licensing, advertising, and affiliate income.
Impact on Journalism
The complaint argues that OpenAI and Microsoft are benefiting from The Times's substantial investment in journalism without proper compensation. It contends that millions of articles from The Times were used to train automated chatbots, which now function as competitors to the newspaper as reliable sources of information.
Threat to Quality Journalism
Furthermore, The Times asserts that these AI models threaten high-quality journalism. By utilising Microsoft's Bing Chat (now rebranded as 'Copilot') and OpenAI's ChatGPT, the companies are accused of undermining the ability of news outlets to safeguard and monetise their content.
Legal Action and Damages
The lawsuit, filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan, demands that OpenAI and Microsoft be held accountable for copyright infringement. The publication seeks "billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages" for allegedly using its content to build substitute products without permission or compensation.
However, both Microsoft and OpenAI have yet to respond to the legal proceedings.
Inputs from IANS
ALSO READ | Apple's Vision Pro headset arriving soon: What we know so far?
ALSO READ | Samsung introduces Galaxy A15 5G and A25 5G in India: What sets them apart? DEETS here
