A group of nonfiction authors has filed a class-action lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that the two companies infringed on their copyrights by training the AI chatbot ChatGPT on their work without their consent.
Key Highlights
- Nonfiction authors allege that OpenAI and Microsoft infringed on their copyrights by training the AI chatbot ChatGPT on their work without their consent.
- The lawsuit claims that OpenAI and Microsoft copied tens of thousands of nonfiction books without permission to teach ChatGPT to respond to human text prompts.
- The lawsuit seeks damages and an injunction preventing OpenAI and Microsoft from further infringing on the authors’ copyrights.
The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, claims that OpenAI and Microsoft copied tens of thousands of nonfiction books without permission to teach ChatGPT to respond to human text prompts. The authors allege that OpenAI and Microsoft’s actions have caused them to suffer significant financial harm.
The lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft,“OpenAI and Microsoft have built a business valued into the tens of billions of dollars by taking the combined works of humanity without permission,” the lawsuit states. “Rather than pay for intellectual property, they pretend as if the laws protecting copyright do not exist.”
The lawsuit is still in its early stages, and it is unclear how it will be resolved. However, it is clear that the case has the potential to have a significant impact on the future of AI technology.
In addition to the legal implications, the lawsuit also raises important ethical questions about the use of artificial intelligence. Some argue that it is unethical to use AI to generate text that is similar to the work of human authors without their consent. Others argue that AI has the potential to be a powerful tool for creativity and expression, and that it should not be stifled by copyright law.
The lawsuit is one of several that have been filed against OpenAI and other tech companies over the alleged misuse of copyrighted materials to train AI systems. In October, a group of musicians and music publishers sued OpenAI, alleging that the company had used their music to train its AI music-generating software without their permission.
OpenAI and Microsoft have denied the allegations in the lawsuits. A spokesperson for OpenAI declined to comment on the Tuesday lawsuit, citing pending litigation.
The outcome of the lawsuits could have major implications for the development of AI technology. If the authors are successful, it could force AI companies to change the way they train their AI systems. It could also make it more difficult for AI companies to develop new products and services.
The lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft is the latest in a series of legal challenges facing the AI industry. The outcome of the lawsuit could have a significant impact on the development of AI technology.
