The New York Times has filed a robust lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing them of illegally using its journalism to train their artificial intelligence models without authorization or compensation. The newspaper argues that these companies are seeking to create substitute products that directly compete with its content, thereby threatening its business model based on journalistic quality and rigor. This action marks a shift in strategy toward a more belligerent stance against AI technology, contrasting with other media outlets that have opted for licensing agreements. The core of the conflict revolves around copyright in the digital age, raising the question of whether training algorithms on copyrighted works constitutes infringement. The Times contends that the technology is not “transformative” if it relies on stealing intellectual property without payment, which could result in billions of dollars in damages. By rejecting previous attempts at negotiation, the newspaper demonstrates that intellectual property is an indispensable pillar, even in the face of promises of technological innovation, demanding the destruction of the collected data and compensation for the harm caused. This case is crucial for open data and algorithmic transparency, as it sets a legal precedent regarding the ownership of information generated on the internet. The dispute sheds light on the opacity surrounding the use of public data to train commercial models, questioning the ethics and legality of extracting value from free or paid content without permission. Beyond the specific case, this lawsuit reflects a global tension between unchecked technological expansion and the need for regulatory frameworks that protect creators, directly influencing how data will be managed and accessed in the future.
Source: semana.comPublished on 2023-12-29