---
title: "Microsoft Director Privately Admitted AI Was the “Largest Theft of Labor in Human History,” Unsealed Court Documents Show"
slug: "microsoft-manager-nannte-ai-training-den-groessten-diebstahl-von-arbeit-der-geschichte"
date: 2026-09-17
category: tech-pub
tags: [openai, microsoft]
language: en
sources_count: 2
featured: false
publisher: AInauten News
url: https://news.ainauten.com/en/story/microsoft-manager-nannte-ai-training-den-groessten-diebstahl-von-arbeit-der-geschichte
---

# Microsoft Director Privately Admitted AI Was the “Largest Theft of Labor in Human History,” Unsealed Court Documents Show

**Published**: 2026-09-17 | **Category**: tech-pub | **Sources**: 2

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## TL;DR

Unsealed court documents in The New York Times' copyright lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft include a striking view from inside Microsoft: Brent Hecht, the company's Director of Applied Science, called AI model training the largest theft of labor in human history and said letting the defendants claim fair use would make a mockery of the doctrine.

---

## Summary

Unsealed court documents in The New York Times' copyright lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft include a striking view from inside Microsoft: Brent Hecht, the company's Director of Applied Science, called AI model training the largest theft of labor in human history and said letting the defendants claim fair use would make a mockery of the doctrine. The Times alleges both companies copied millions of its articles without permission to build competing AI products. OpenAI president Greg Brockman is also quoted conceding that generative AI products are largely substitutive for publishers.

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## Why it matters

The Times alleges both companies copied millions of its articles without permission to build competing AI products.

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## Key Points

- The Times alleges both companies copied millions of its articles without permission to build competing AI products.
- OpenAI president Greg Brockman is also quoted conceding that generative AI products are largely substitutive for publishers.

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## Nauti's Take

For publishers and creators this is an opportunity: when a Microsoft director calls AI training theft, their position in court and in licensing talks gets stronger. The catch is that one internal quote does not settle a fair use case, and the lawsuit could drag on for years. Teams building on AI tools should watch the case closely, since a loss for OpenAI and Microsoft would reshape training data, licensing and pricing across the industry.

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## FAQ

**Q:** What is Microsoft Director Privately Admitted AI Was the “Largest Theft of Labor in Human History,” Unsealed Court Documents Show about?

**A:** Unsealed court documents in The New York Times' copyright lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft include a striking view from inside Microsoft: Brent Hecht, the company's Director of Applied Science, called AI model training the largest theft of labor in human history and said letting the defendants claim fair use would make a mockery of the doctrine.

**Q:** Why does it matter?

**A:** The Times alleges both companies copied millions of its articles without permission to build competing AI products.

**Q:** What are the key takeaways?

**A:** The Times alleges both companies copied millions of its articles without permission to build competing AI products.. OpenAI president Greg Brockman is also quoted conceding that generative AI products are largely substitutive for publishers.

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## Related Topics

- [openai](https://news.ainauten.com/en/tag/openai)
- [microsoft](https://news.ainauten.com/en/tag/microsoft)

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## Sources

- [Microsoft and OpenAI Workers Worry About ‘Largest Theft of Labor’ in History](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/technology/microsoft-openai-publishing-industry.html) - New York Times AI/Tech
- [Microsoft Director Privately Admitted AI Was the “Largest Theft of Labor in Human History,” Unsealed Court Documents Show](https://futurism.com/future-society/microsoft-admitted-ai-theft-labor-human-history-court-lawsuit) - Futurism

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## About This Article

This article is a synthesis of 2 sources, curated and summarized by AInauten News. We aggregate AI news from trusted sources and provide bilingual (German/English) coverage.

**Publisher**: [AInauten](https://www.ainauten.com) | **Site**: [news.ainauten.com](https://news.ainauten.com)

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*Last Updated: 2026-09-18*