Microsoft director called AI scraping ‘the largest theft of labor in human history,’ while OpenAI head brands ChatGPT an ‘existential threat’ to publishers — revelations come from legal briefs filed in NYT lawsuit
TL;DR
The NYT filed a legal brief revealing potentially damaging statements from Microsoft and OpenAI regarding the copyright infringement case it brought against the two companies. The publication is now seeking a summary judgment from the court, almost three years since it started the case.
Nauti's Take
This is a tailwind for publishers: internal statements from Microsoft and OpenAI back the argument that ChatGPT substitutes for journalism, which could put licensing deals on fairer terms. Whether that holds up legally is an open question, since fair use turns on the actual use and a ruling is expected in 2027 at the earliest.
Anyone building AI products on third-party content should factor in the risk of costly licensing obligations now.
Sources