OpenAI and Microsoft are facing a lawsuit over allegations of misusing the work of nonfiction authors to train AI models. The proposed class action was filed in Manhattan federal court by author and Hollywood Reporter editor Julian Sancton. Sancton claims that OpenAI copied tens of thousands of nonfiction books without permission to teach its language models, including ChatGPT, how to respond to human text prompts.
This lawsuit is part of a larger trend of copyright owners, including authors such as John Grisham and George R.R. Martin, suing tech companies over the alleged misuse of their work for AI training. Microsoft, who has invested billions in OpenAI and integrated its systems into its products, is named as a defendant in this lawsuit.
OpenAI declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing pending litigation, while Microsoft representatives did not immediately respond. Sancton’s attorney, Justin Nelson, accused OpenAI and Microsoft of refusing to compensate nonfiction authors while their AI platform thrives.
Sancton’s lawsuit specifically mentions his book “Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night” as one of the works copied by OpenAI. The complaint also holds Microsoft responsible for copyright infringement, stating that they have been deeply involved in training and developing the language models.
In the lawsuit, Sancton seeks unspecified monetary damages and a court order to block the alleged infringement. The case has attracted attention from legal experts and technology enthusiasts, who are watching closely to see how it unfolds.
This news was reported by Blake Brittain and edited by David Bario and Aurora Ellis. As the legal battle progresses, it remains to be seen how it will impact the relationship between technology companies and content creators.
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