USA Today Sues OpenAI for $250M Over Alleged Unauthorized AI Training Data
The publisher seeks damages for claims that OpenAI copied hundreds of thousands of articles without permission to train its models.
Key points
- USA Today and its local newspaper subsidiaries filed a lawsuit against OpenAI on Thursday.
- The filing alleges unauthorized copying of hundreds of thousands of articles for AI model training.
- The publisher is seeking more than $250 million in damages according to the report.
USA Today and several local newspapers it owns have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that the artificial intelligence company copied hundreds of thousands of articles without authorization to train its models. The legal action, filed on Thursday, marks the latest escalation in the ongoing conflict between media publishers and AI developers regarding data usage rights.
According to a report by The Verge, which cited earlier reporting from Reuters, the publisher is seeking more than $250 million in damages. The core of the complaint centers on the claim that OpenAI utilized copyrighted content from USA Today’s digital properties to improve its AI systems without obtaining permission or providing compensation. This move aligns USA Today with a growing list of media organizations challenging the data practices of major AI firms.
Context and Background
The lawsuit highlights the intensifying legal battles surrounding the sourcing of training data for large language models. USA Today’s filing specifically targets the volume of content allegedly taken, citing "hundreds of thousands" of articles. This allegation suggests a systematic extraction of content rather than isolated instances of scraping.
The Verge reported that the filing asks for significant financial penalties, reflecting the publisher’s stance that the unauthorized use of its intellectual property constitutes a substantial violation. By including its local newspaper subsidiaries in the suit, USA Today is broadening the scope of the claim to cover a wider array of its journalistic output. This strategy indicates an attempt to address data usage across its entire portfolio of digital news assets.
Who is Affected
The primary parties affected are USA Today, its owned local newspapers, and OpenAI. For the publishers, the lawsuit represents a formal legal challenge to the current norms of data scraping and AI training. The outcome could set precedents for how media companies protect their digital content from being used in commercial AI products without explicit licensing agreements.
For OpenAI, the suit adds to the legal pressures facing the company as it navigates the regulatory landscape of AI development. The allegation of copying hundreds of thousands of articles underscores the scale of data involved in training modern AI models and the potential liability associated with that scale. Other media publishers watching this case may consider similar legal actions if they believe their content has been used without consent.
What should you do?
Security and technology professionals should monitor legal developments involving AI data sourcing, as these cases may influence future compliance requirements for data handling and licensing. Organizations using AI models should review their vendor contracts to understand data provenance and licensing terms. It is also advisable to stay informed about industry trends regarding copyright and AI training data to anticipate potential shifts in legal standards.
Background: Large language models
Large language models are a specific type of neural network trained on text. Generative AI is the broader umbrella term for any system that creates new content, including images and code. Not all generative AI uses large language models, but most modern text generators do.
What to do and how to stay safe: OpenAI
- Review current vendor contracts for AI services to understand data sourcing and licensing terms.
- Monitor legal updates regarding AI training data to anticipate compliance changes.
- Assess internal data handling policies to ensure they align with evolving copyright standards.
- Communicate with legal teams to evaluate risks associated with using third-party AI models.
Step-by-step guide: Prompt Injection Warning Signs: How to Spot AI Manipulation
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
Why is USA Today suing OpenAI?
USA Today is suing OpenAI for allegedly copying hundreds of thousands of articles without authorization to train its AI models.
How much money is USA Today seeking in damages?
The publisher is seeking more than $250 million in damages according to the lawsuit filing.
When was the lawsuit filed?
The lawsuit was filed on Thursday, as reported by The Verge.
