Trump Administration Backs OpenAI in New York Times Copyright Case Over AI Training
- The U.S. Justice Department filed court papers on Tuesday supporting OpenAI's argument that training AI models on internet content is protected by copyright law's 'fair use' doctrine.
- The Justice Department argued that the 'creative possibilities and public benefits' of large language model training 'far outweigh any competitive harm' and that ruling against OpenAI would hinder American economic progress.
- The New York Times sued OpenAI in 2023, claiming the company used billions of dollars' worth of its journalism without permission to train ChatGPT, sometimes reproducing Times content verbatim.
- The Times is joined by other news organizations including the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Ziff Davis, and the Center for Investigative Reporting in the lawsuit.
- The Times argues OpenAI unfairly competes by 'free-riding' on its journalism investment to build substitute products without permission or payment, distinguishing its case from lawsuits by individual authors like Sarah Silverman.
The Trump administration has intervened in the copyright dispute between OpenAI and the New York Times by filing Justice Department briefs supporting the AI company's position. The government argues that training large language models on internet content constitutes fair use under copyright law and that the creative and economic benefits of AI development substantially outweigh potential competitive harms to publishers. Officials further contended that restricting such training practices would impede American innovation and national security interests.
The New York Times initiated its lawsuit in 2023, alleging that OpenAI used billions of dollars' worth of its journalism without authorization to train ChatGPT, sometimes reproducing Times articles verbatim. The newspaper frames this as unfair competition where OpenAI 'free-rides' on the Times' substantial journalistic investment to create competing products. The Times has been joined by other major news organizations including the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Ziff Davis, and the Center for Investigative Reporting.
The Times rejected the government's position, stating that AI companies should pay fairly for content under existing copyright law. A Times spokesperson argued that allowing companies to use content without permission or compensation would undermine the sustainability of human-created journalism that society depends upon. The case reflects broader global tensions over AI development practices, with courts still establishing precedents for rapidly evolving technology.
特朗普政府在纽约时报版权案中支持OpenAI的AI训练做法
特朗普政府通过司法部提交法庭文件,支持OpenAI在与纽约时报的版权纠纷中的立场,介入了这场法律争议。政府主张在互联网内容上训练大语言模型构成版权法下的合理使用,并声称AI开发的创意和经济效益远超对出版商的潜在竞争伤害。官员们进一步辩称,限制此类训练做法将阻碍美国创新和国家安全利益。
纽约时报于2023年提起诉讼,指控OpenAI未经授权使用其数十亿美元的新闻内容训练ChatGPT,有时逐字复制时报文章。该报将此框定为不公平竞争,OpenAI通过"搭便车"时报的大量新闻投资来创建竞争产品。时报已与其他主要新闻机构(包括纽约每日新闻、芝加哥论坛报、Ziff Davis和调查性新闻中心)联合起诉。
时报拒绝了政府的立场,声称AI公司应根据现有版权法为内容公平付费。时报发言人辩称,允许公司在无许可或报酬的情况下使用内容,将破坏社会所依赖的人类创意新闻的可持续性。该案反映了全球范围内围绕AI开发实践的更广泛紧张局势,法院仍在为快速发展的技术建立判例。