Seattle Times, Newsday sue OpenAI and Microsoft over AI training claims
The publishers allege their journalism was used to train AI products, adding to a growing wave of legal action over copyright and publisher-AI relationships.
The Seattle Times and Newsday have sued OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that their journalism was used to train artificial intelligence products and could cause serious harm to news organisations.
The lawsuit argues that generative AI could leave the journalism industry “broken beyond repair”. It claims products including ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot consume human-authored material and return copies or derivative imitations while pursuing commercial objectives.
The case is notable because Microsoft and OpenAI have funded some Seattle Times journalism projects and fellowships. That funding, however, does not establish wrongdoing, and the claims have not been tested or resolved in court.
Microsoft told GeekWire it was “surprised by the lawsuit” and was “always happy to sit down and explore solutions to this type of dispute”. The source material does not include a response from OpenAI.
The lawsuit follows The New York Times’ 2023 action against OpenAI and Microsoft over alleged copyright infringement. Other publishers have also pursued legal action, while the Associated Press and Vox Media have entered licensing or partnership arrangements with OpenAI.
