The Seattle Times and Newsday have filed lawsuits against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that the companies used their journalistic content to train AI models without permission. The lawsuits argue that the proliferation of generative AI could lead to the “destruction of the very organizations” that produce the content used for training, describing the situation as “a snake eating its own tail.” The plaintiffs contend that AI products like ChatGPT and Copilot are not true content creators but rather “rapacious consumers” that ingest human-authored material and output derivative works for commercial gain.

This legal action follows a precedent set by The New York Times, which in 2023 sued OpenAI and its partner/investor, Microsoft, over alleged copyright infringement. The Seattle Times’ lawsuit is particularly noteworthy given the history of collaboration between the news organization and the tech giants, including funding for journalism projects and fellowships. In response, a Microsoft spokesperson expressed surprise at the lawsuit but indicated a willingness to discuss potential resolutions to the dispute. Source

This is a summary. Read the original at techcrunch.com.