The New York Times initiated this lawsuit in December, alleging that OpenAI and its partner Microsoft had used millions of its articles to build their AI tools and were now directly competing with its content. The Times is seeking billions in damages and has already spent over $1 million in legal fees. OpenAI, on the other hand, has formed partnerships with major outlets like Axel Springer, Conde Nast, and Vox Media. OpenAI disagreed with the court filing's characterizations and plans to file its own response.
Key takeaways:
- OpenAI engineers accidentally erased critical evidence in a lawsuit filed by The New York Times and other major newspapers over AI training data, according to a court filing.
- The newspapers had spent over 150 hours searching through OpenAI’s AI training data to find instances where their news articles were included.
- The New York Times Company launched this lawsuit last December, claiming OpenAI and its partner Microsoft had built their AI tools by using millions of the publication’s articles and now directly compete with its content.
- OpenAI has struck deals with major outlets like Axel Springer, Conde Nast, and The Verge’s parent company Vox Media, suggesting many publishers would rather partner than fight.