Major newspaper just sued the biggest AI company in the world over ChatGPT—and what they claim is happening to journalism might change everything about how AI is built
The Seattle Times Co. is suing OpenAI and Microsoft, in the latest move by media companies to call out artificial intelligence players’ alleged copyright violations.
The Seattle Times filed a lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington against OpenAI and Microsoft. The complaint alleges that both companies used Times articles to train ChatGPT and integrate AI features without obtaining a license. Newsday is also named as a co‑plaintiff, joining the Times in the same filing. The suit seeks monetary damages and a court order to stop further use of the newspaper’s content.
A court order requiring OpenAI or Microsoft to delete Times‑derived data could reduce the newspaper’s presence in AI‑generated answers you see on Bing Chat or ChatGPT. That would mean fewer direct quotes or summaries from the Times when you ask the chatbot for recent Seattle news. Consequently, you might need to visit the Times website directly to get the same information, potentially increasing your time spent on the publisher’s site. The change could also affect subscription incentives if the paper leverages the lawsuit to negotiate licensing fees with AI firms.
Over the past year, more than a dozen news organizations have filed similar suits alleging that AI models ingest their articles without permission. The New York Times’ lawsuit against OpenAI, filed in late 2023, set a precedent by demanding both damages and a halt to unauthorized training. Insiders say publishers are increasingly viewing AI training data as a new revenue stream they can license, similar to syndication deals. This litigation trend reflects a broader shift as tech firms negotiate content licenses to avoid legal risk.
The parties are set to appear for a case management conference on October 30, 2024, where the judge will schedule discovery. Microsoft recently announced a new partnership with the Seattle Times to provide AI‑generated summaries for its paid subscribers. Despite the lawsuit, this deal suggests both sides may be negotiating a license behind the scenes.
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