OpenAI is in legal trouble again, and this time they’ve got Microsoft joining the party. So, here’s the scoop: a bunch of non-fiction authors, led by Julian Sancton, are throwing a lawsuit at both companies. They’re claiming that OpenAI and Microsoft used their hard work – you know, books and academic stuff – to train their fancy AI, all without asking or paying a dime.
The authors aren’t holding back. They say OpenAI and Microsoft built a mega-billion-dollar business by basically grabbing the collective works of humanity and running with it, all without bothering to get permission. According to the lawsuit, these companies act like copyright laws are just a suggestion, raking in the cash while leaving the original creators high and dry.
Julian Sancton, the guy heading this legal showdown, penned “Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey Into the Dark Antarctic.” The lawsuit underlines the serious time and money authors like him invest in their creations, thanks to the exclusive rights the Copyright Act gives them.
Just to give you a bit of background, OpenAI has been waving the “not derivative work” flag, claiming ChatGPT doesn’t mess with copyrights. But here we are again, with Sancton joining the ranks of Michael Chabon, George R.R. Martin, John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, and even comedian Sarah Silverman, who’ve all taken legal shots at OpenAI for similar reasons this year.
