Alleged Copyright Infringement in the Development of AI Models
In a recent legal development, OpenAI and its financial supporter, Microsoft, face a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court. The plaintiffs, nonfiction authors Nicholas Basbanes and Nicholas Gage, contend that their works were improperly used in the training data for artificial intelligence (AI) models, including the widely-used ChatGPT.
Copyright Infringement Allegations
Basbanes and Gage have filed a proposed class action, asserting that OpenAI and Microsoft violated their copyrights by incorporating segments from several of their books into the dataset utilized to train OpenAI’s GPT large language model. The authors argue that the companies’ utilization of their literary works without proper authorization constitutes copyright infringement.
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Lack of Immediate Responses from Defendants
As of now, neither Microsoft nor OpenAI has issued a response to the allegations. Representatives for the companies have yet to comment on the complaint, leaving the legal claims unanswered.
A Growing Trend of Lawsuits in the Tech Industry
This lawsuit is part of a broader trend, with various fiction and nonfiction writers taking legal action against tech companies. Notable figures such as comedian Sarah Silverman and “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin have also filed lawsuits, claiming that their creative works were used without permission to train AI programs.
The New York Times Joins the Legal Battle
Adding to the legal challenges, The New York Times recently filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft. The renowned media organization alleges that its journalists’ work was utilized without proper authorization in the training of AI applications.
Former Journalists Speak Out
Basbanes and Gage, former journalists themselves, express their discontent with the situation. Michael Richter, their legal representative, deems it “outrageous” that companies can leverage their clients’ works to fuel a burgeoning billion-dollar industry without offering any compensation.
As the legal battle unfolds, it sheds light on the complexities surrounding intellectual property in the age of artificial intelligence, prompting a closer examination of ethical considerations and compensation within the tech industry.
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