US government backs OpenAI in New York Times copyright case

The U.S. government has submitted a brief in support of OpenAI in the ongoing copyright dispute with major newspapers like the New York Times. The administration argues that AI training generally qualifies as fair use of copyrighted material, highlighting the potential benefits for scientific advancement and national security. This is the first official stance from the U.S. government on the wave of cases brought by copyright owners including authors, publishers, music labels, and news outlets against AI training companies.

While a brief carries advisory weight rather than legal weight, it could potentially bolster tech companies in their legal battles. The administration emphasized the importance of AI development for the nation's prosperity and security, warning against constraining LLM development under a misunderstanding of fair use doctrine. The New York Times criticized the administration's support for AI companies, stating that it sides with trillion-dollar AI companies at the expense of American creators whose work is allegedly stolen.

OpenAI has not yet responded to the filing, but they have previously been accused of using millions of newspaper articles without permission to train their popular chatbot. The lawsuit, filed in 2023, is one of several brought by copyright holders against tech companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta Platforms.