Nonfiction Authors Take Legal Action Against OpenAI and Microsoft: Copyright Infringement Alleged for AI Chatbot Training

Nonfiction authors have filed a new lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that the tech giants have been utilizing their AI chatbots, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot (previously Bing Chat), without permission. This legal action adds to the ongoing turmoil surrounding OpenAI and Microsoft, as they navigate the recent dismissal of CEO Sam Altman. Altman’s future remains uncertain, with possibilities ranging from reclaiming his former role at OpenAI to leading an AI research team at Microsoft.

OpenAI, Microsoft started a new copyright lawsuit

According to a Reuters report, OpenAI and Microsoft were sued on Tuesday over allegations that they misused the work of data writers to train the AI models behind services such as OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT.

OpenAI copied tens of thousands of data books without permission to teach its large language models to respond to human text prompts, said author and Hollywood Reporter editor Julian Sancton, who is leading the class action lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court.

The lawsuit is one of several filed by groups of copyright owners, including authors John Grisham, George R.R. Martin and Jonathan Franzen, have sued OpenAI and other tech companies for allegedly misusing their work to train artificial intelligence systems. The companies have denied the allegations.

Sancton’s complaint is the first copyright case against OpenAI in which Microsoft is also named as a defendant. The company has invested billions of dollars in an artificial intelligence startup and has integrated OpenAI’s systems into its products.

An OpenAI spokesperson declined to comment on Tuesday’s lawsuit, citing the pending litigation. Microsoft representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“While OpenAI and Microsoft refuse to pay data writers, their AI platform is worth a fortune,” Sancton’s attorney Justin Nelson said in a statement. “The foundation of OpenAI is nothing less than the rampant theft of copyrighted works.”

Sancton’s lawsuit said OpenAI copied reference books, including his “Madhouse at the End of the Earth: Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night,” to train its large GPT language models.

The complaint also said that Microsoft has been “deeply involved” in the training and development of the models and is also liable for copyright infringement.

Sancton asked the court for unspecified monetary damages and an injunction to stop the alleged infringement.

(via Reuters feeds)