The New York Times and other newspapers are accusing OpenAI and its largest financial backer, Microsoft, of misusing millions of articles without permission or compensation to train its chatbot. The lawsuit, first filed in 2023, alleges that the companies used the newspaper's material to develop its artificial intelligence systems.
The Trump administration and the Department of Justice are backing OpenAI in the case. In a court filing and a letter, the US government argued that training AI on others' intellectual property constitutes fair use and does not violate copyright law.
Government officials stated that the United States has a strong interest in developing a robust and competitive artificial intelligence industry that sets the standard for AI use globally. They argued that limiting the ability of AI companies to train on content creates national security concerns, noting that national security depends on American tech dominance.