The Seattle Times and Newsday have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement. The publishers claim that OpenAI used their journalism as training data for its AI models without permission. They also assert that the company often reproduces passages from their reporting in response to user queries. This lawsuit follows similar actions by The New York Times, Ziff Davis, Merriam-Webster, and Encyclopedia Britannica against OpenAI.

The Seattle Times and Newsday have also named Microsoft as a defendant in the suit, citing Copilot, which is built on OpenAI’s technology. The publishers are part of a growing list of nearly 400 local newspapers that have recently sued the two companies. These newspapers argue that chatbots like those developed by OpenAI and Microsoft reduce the need for users to visit their websites for reporting and answers, thereby costing them valuable subscription revenue.

As part of the lawsuit, The Seattle Times and Newsday are seeking the destruction of any copies of their works that OpenAI and Microsoft may be holding, along with the training datasets and AI models that incorporate their content. OpenAI and Microsoft have not yet responded to a request for comment on the matter.

The publishers’ claims highlight a broader trend of media outlets challenging the use of their content in AI training. The New York Times, for instance, has previously filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that the company used its articles without permission. Similarly, Merriam-Webster and Encyclopedia Britannica have also taken legal action, arguing that their content was used without authorization.

The Seattle Times and Newsday are not alone in their concerns. A recent report indicates that nearly 400 local newspapers have joined the legal battle against OpenAI and Microsoft. These newspapers claim that the chatbots developed by the companies are undermining their business models by reducing the need for users to access their content directly. The publishers argue that this has led to a decline in subscription revenue and a loss of audience engagement.

The lawsuit underscores the ongoing debate over the ethical and legal implications of using copyrighted material in AI training. While some argue that the use of such content is necessary for the development of advanced AI models, others contend that it infringes on the rights of content creators. The Seattle Times and Newsday are seeking a resolution that would ensure their content is not used without permission, and that any AI models trained on their journalism are destroyed.