Seattle Times and Newsday are the latest publications to sue OpenAI and Microsoft
The Seattle Times and Newsday have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging unauthorized use of their journalism to train generative AI models. The case represents the latest in a series of copyright infringement claims from news organizations, following the New York Times' similar suit launched in 2023.
Why It Matters
As AI systems increasingly rely on human-created content to function, news organizations face existential concerns about their ability to sustain quality journalism if their work is freely consumed by commercial AI products without compensation or permission.
Key Facts
- Plaintiffs: The Seattle Times and Newsday
- Defendants: OpenAI and Microsoft
- Key claim: Unauthorized use of journalism to train AI models like ChatGPT and CoPilot
- Prior lawsuit: New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft in 2023
- Notable detail: Microsoft has previously funded Seattle Times journalism projects and fellowships
The Seattle Times and Newsday have joined a growing list of news organizations challenging OpenAI and Microsoft in court, claiming their published content was used without permission to develop commercial AI systems. The lawsuit characterizes generative AI technology as a fundamentally extractive process that consumes vast quantities of human-authored material to generate derivative outputs while providing no benefit to original creators. According to the filing, this dynamic threatens to undermine the economic foundations of quality journalism by allowing AI companies to profit from content they did not produce or license. The case follows a similar action filed by The New York Times in 2023, establishing a clear pattern of legal conflict between the journalism industry and AI developers. A particularly significant aspect of the Seattle Times lawsuit is that Microsoft has previously invested in and supported the publication's journalism initiatives, adding a complicated dimension to the dispute that underscores broader tensions between technology companies and traditional media over AI training practices.
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