Microsoft and OpenAI are facing a lawsuit filed by author and reporter Julian Sancton, who accuses the companies of improperly using nonfiction authors' work, including his own, to train AI models such as OpenAI's ChatGPT. The proposed class-action lawsuit alleges that OpenAI utilized tens of thousands of nonfiction books without authorization. Sancton also claims Microsoft's involvement in generating unlicensed copies of authors' works for training data. This legal action comes amid other copyright infringement suits against OpenAI, and it marks the first time an author has sued OpenAI while naming Microsoft as a defendant.
Microsoft and OpenAI are facing a lawsuit filed by author and reporter Julian Sancton, who alleges the improper use of nonfiction authors' work, including his own, to train AI models such as OpenAI's ChatGPT. The proposed class-action lawsuit claims that OpenAI utilized tens of thousands of nonfiction books without authorization, and Sancton also accuses Microsoft of generating unlicensed copies of authors' works for training data.
This legal action adds to the series of copyright infringement suits against OpenAI and other tech firms initiated by authors, including John Grisham, George R.R. Martin, and Jonathan Franzen. The lawsuit highlights Microsoft's substantial involvement in model development, holding the company accountable for copyright infringement related to AI model training. The legal action by Sancton marks the first instance where an author has sued OpenAI while also naming Microsoft as a defendant.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages and a court order to halt the alleged infringement. The case underscores the increasing scrutiny and legal challenges faced by tech companies in the development and deployment of AI models using copyrighted materials.
(AMAKA NWAOKOCHA, COINTELEGRAPH, 2023)