In a dramatic turn of events, Microsoft and OpenAI find themselves entangled in a legal quagmire as acclaimed nonfiction authors Nicholas Basbanes and Nicholas Gage file a lawsuit in a Manhattan federal court. The dynamic duo asserts that their literary creations were illicitly employed in the training of artificial intelligence (AI) models, including the widely-used chatbot ChatGPT and various other AI-driven services.
The allegations revolve around the claim that OpenAI, with the financial backing of Microsoft, flagrantly violated copyright laws by incorporating segments from several books penned by Basbanes and Gage into the dataset employed for training OpenAI’s GPT large language model.
As the legal saga unfolds, the literary maestros, both former journalists, are seeking justice through a proposed class action. Their attorney, Michael Richter, vehemently expressed his dismay, deeming it “outrageous” that these tech behemoths could harness their intellectual creations to fuel a burgeoning billion-dollar industry without extending any form of compensation.
Despite the gravity of the accusations, spokespersons for Microsoft and OpenAI have chosen to remain tight-lipped, failing to respond to requests for comments on the lawsuit.
This legal skirmish is not an isolated incident, joining a string of similar litigations initiated by both fiction and nonfiction writers. Notable figures such as comedian Sarah Silverman and “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin have previously taken tech companies to task, alleging the unauthorized use of their works for training AI programs.
In a parallel development, The New York Times recently launched a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, adding its weight to the growing discontent among writers concerning the purported exploitation of their creations to advance AI applications.
As the controversy deepens, the clash between artistic integrity and the ever-expanding realm of artificial intelligence continues to raise questions about the ethical boundaries surrounding the use of creative works in the development of cutting-edge technologies.
