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OpenAI Accuses New York Times of ‘Hacking’ ChatGPT in Copyright Lawsuit

By  |  February 27, 2024

In a recent development surrounding the copyright lawsuit initiated by The New York Times against OpenAI and its primary investor Microsoft, OpenAI has made a bold assertion. The AI research organization has claimed that The New York Times “hacked” into its sophisticated chatbot, ChatGPT, and other artificial intelligence systems to fabricate evidence for the lawsuit.

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    OpenAI’s accusation came through a filing submitted to a federal judge in Manhattan on Monday. According to OpenAI, The New York Times engaged in deceptive practices, manipulating the AI systems by providing prompts that violated OpenAI’s terms of use. The organization emphasized that the allegations brought forth by The Times fail to meet the rigorous journalistic standards for which the publication is known.

    The crux of OpenAI’s argument lies in the contention that The Times induced its technology to reproduce copyrighted material through dubious means. OpenAI suggested that the newspaper paid an undisclosed individual, labeled a “hired gun,” to carry out these manipulations, although no specific identity was provided, reported Reuters.

    Notably, OpenAI refrained from directly accusing The New York Times of violating anti-hacking laws. However, it vehemently disputed the authenticity of the evidence presented by The Times, setting the stage for what could be a protracted legal battle.

    Related: FTC Investigating OpenAI Over Data Security

    Both The New York Times and OpenAI have yet to officially respond to inquiries regarding the recent filing. The lawsuit, initiated by The Times in December, alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft utilized millions of articles without authorization to train chatbots for disseminating information to users.

    This legal skirmish is part of a broader trend wherein copyright owners, including authors, visual artists, and music publishers, are taking legal action against tech companies over alleged copyright infringements in AI training. Tech companies, on their part, assert that their AI systems operate within the bounds of fair use of copyrighted material, warning that such lawsuits pose a significant threat to the burgeoning multitrillion-dollar AI industry.

    As the dispute unfolds in federal court, the outcome could potentially set significant precedents regarding the intersection of copyright law and artificial intelligence, shaping the future landscape of AI development and usage.

    Source: Reuters