OpenAI and Microsoft, two tech giants at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) research, are facing a new lawsuit that accuses them of using other people’s intellectual property without permission. Julian Sancton, an author, has filed the lawsuit on behalf of a group of non-fiction authors, claiming that their books and academic journals were used to train OpenAI’s large language model without proper compensation.
The authors argue that OpenAI and Microsoft have built a multibillion-dollar business by utilizing the works of humanity without obtaining permission and refusing to pay the original creators. Sancton, known for his book “Madhouse at the End of the Earth,” claims that his extensive research and writing were utilized by OpenAI without authorization.
In response to previous allegations, OpenAI has contended that the content generated by its language model, known as ChatGPT, does not infringe on any copyright because it is not a derivative work. However, this lawsuit is the latest addition to a series of complaints against OpenAI regarding its use of copyrighted material.
Famous personalities like Michael Chabon, George R.R. Martin, and Sarah Silverman have also initiated legal action against OpenAI for its alleged unauthorized use of their works. The inclusion of these well-known figures in the lawsuit highlights the magnitude of the issue and the widespread concern among authors regarding the protection of their intellectual property.
Sancton, on behalf of the non-fiction authors, is seeking damages and injunctive relief against all parties implicated in the proposed class-action lawsuit. If successful, this legal action could have significant ramifications not only for OpenAI and Microsoft but also for the entire AI industry’s use of copyrighted material in training machine learning models.
As the lawsuit progresses, it will be interesting to see how OpenAI and Microsoft respond to the allegations and how the court will adjudicate such a complex case involving the intersection of AI technology, intellectual property, and authors’ rights.
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