OpenAI Feared "Optics" of what might appear on Hacker News
Article URL: https://authorsguild.org/news/ag-v-openai-top-execs-knew-mass-book-piracy-was-illegal/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49863864 Points: 209 # Comments: 169
Newly released documents in the Authors Guild v. OpenAI lawsuit reveal the company's reckless determination to win the AI arms race, even if it meant stealing books from a "sketchy Russian website" and releasing products that would make people unemployed. The plaintiffs, including authors David Baldacci, Taylor Branch, and Jodi Picoult, among others, claim that OpenAI and Microsoft intentionally broke the law and showed contempt for human authorship.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants knew of the harm their actions could cause to authors, publishers, and American culture, warning that OpenAI's GPT models posed an existential threat to writers. Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger expressed gratitude for the uncovering of the critical story, stating that the defendants' actions were "shocking disdain for writers and their work."
The case, part of multidistrict litigation in Manhattan, is expected to see more briefing in the coming months and a hearing in early 2027.
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- OpenAI Feared "Optics" of what might appear on Hacker News authorsguild.org
