The New York Times (NYT.N) filed a lawsuit against Microsoft (MSFT.O) and OpenAI on Wednesday, claiming that the two companies had improperly used millions of the newspaper’s articles as training material for artificial intelligence systems.
According to The Times, it is the first significant American media outlet to file a copyright lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, the companies that made ChatGPT and other AI platforms.
The case filed in Manhattan federal court states that “Defendants seek to free-ride on The Times’s massive investment in its journalism by using it to build substitutive products without permission or payment.”
The Times is not seeking a specific amount of damages, but said it believes OpenAI and Microsoft have caused “billions of dollars” in damages for illegally copying and using its works.
OpenAI and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
