In a recent development, OpenAI and Microsoft have been hit with a lawsuit by two nonfiction authors, Nicholas Basbanes and Nicholas Gage. The authors claim that their work was misused by the companies to train artificial intelligence models, including ChatGPT, a popular chatbot, and other AI-based services. The lawsuit, filed as a proposed class action in Manhattan federal court, alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft violated the authors’ copyrights by incorporating their books as a part of the training data for OpenAI’s GPT language model.
Similar lawsuits have been filed in the past by both fiction and nonfiction writers against tech companies. Notable names include comedian Sarah Silverman and author George R.R. Martin, known for the “Game of Thrones” series. These legal actions have centered around the alleged unauthorized use of authors’ work to train AI programs.
Last week, The New York Times also sued OpenAI and Microsoft for using its journalists’ work to train AI applications. The issue of copyright infringement in the AI field has become a contentious topic, with content creators seeking compensation for the use of their intellectual property.
Both Basbanes and Gage are former journalists, adding to the mounting concerns over the unauthorized use of written work in the pursuit of profit by technology companies. Their lawyer, Michael Richter, expressed outrage at the situation, stating that it is unacceptable for these companies to profit from their work without any form of compensation.
OpenAI and Microsoft have yet to respond to the allegations made in the lawsuit. It remains to be seen how the court will proceed with this case and whether it will set a precedent in the ongoing debate surrounding copyright and AI.