In a recent fireside chat organized by Softbank Ventures Asia in Seoul, South Korea, Sam Altman, the chief executive officer of OpenAI, discussed the company's progress and future plans. However, the conversation was overshadowed by a lawsuit filed by the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) against OpenAI and Microsoft for alleged copyright infringement.
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, accuses OpenAI of using CIR's content without permission or compensation in its ChatGPT chatbot. The CIR claims that OpenAI deliberately chose not to respect works of journalism when populating its training sets, leading to unauthorized use of copyrighted material.
Monika Bauerlein, CEO of the CIR, criticized OpenAI and Microsoft for their "free rider behavior," accusing them of using news stories to enhance their product without seeking proper authorization. The CIR is seeking damages and profits from the defendants, citing violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
This lawsuit is just one of several legal challenges faced by OpenAI in recent months. The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and other publications have also filed suits against the company for alleged copyright infringement related to its ChatGPT chatbot.
Despite these legal battles, some news organizations are choosing to collaborate with OpenAI. Time magazine and News Corp. have announced partnerships with OpenAI to provide access to their content for use in training AI models. Reddit has also agreed to partner with OpenAI to train its AI models using Reddit content.
As the news industry grapples with the rise of AI-generated content, these partnerships and legal disputes highlight the complex relationship between technology companies and traditional media outlets. The outcome of these legal challenges will likely have a significant impact on the future of AI development and journalism.