Seattle Times and Newsday sue OpenAI and Microsoft over alleged copyright infringement
The publishers allege their journalism was used to train AI models without permission and reproduced in chatbot responses.
The Seattle Times and Newsday have sued OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging their journalism was used without permission to train artificial intelligence models and that passages from their reporting are reproduced in responses to users.
The publishers are seeking the destruction of copies of their works held by the companies, along with training datasets and AI models that incorporate their journalism.
Microsoft is named because its Copilot service uses OpenAI technology. The publishers also allege the companies’ chatbots reduce visits to news websites and cost them subscription revenue.
The case adds to a growing wave of legal action over the use of copyrighted material in AI development. Similar lawsuits have been brought against OpenAI by The New York Times, Ziff Davis, Merriam-Webster and Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Nearly 400 local newspapers have reportedly sued OpenAI and Microsoft over similar concerns, according to reporting cited by The Verge. OpenAI and Microsoft had not immediately responded to The Verge’s request for comment.
The allegations have not been established in court. The source does not provide the filing date, court or full details of the legal claims.
