{
  "id": 8132578,
  "title": "NYT alleges Microsoft, OpenAI knew using news content was theft",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/nyt-alleges-microsoft-openai-knew-using-news-content-was-theft-8132578",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-17T23:05:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/09/18/nyt-alleges-microsoft-openai-knew-using-news-content-was-theft"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging the companies engaged in a massive theft of copyrighted material to train their flagship AI model, ChatGPT. According to court documents unsealed on Thursday, OpenAI acquired millions of articles, with nearly a third originating from the New York Times alone. Microsoft's director of applied science, Brent Hect, called the act \"an astonishing theft of unprecedented proportions\" and suggested it might be the \"largest theft of labor in human history.\" Hect reportedly warned that OpenAI might have attempted to cover up the theft when identifying content from the New York Times in its systems.\n\nThe lawsuit was filed three years ago in New York federal court, with several other news publishers joining, including CNET owner Ziff Davis, Mother Jones, and The Intercept, alongside local newspapers from across the United States. They are seeking damages for each article allegedly stolen by OpenAI's models but are uncertain about the total penalties.\n\nWhile OpenAI has since formed content licensing agreements with numerous news publishers worldwide since launching ChatGPT in late 2022, skepticism remains regarding the impact of generative AI software on internet news traffic. OpenAI engineers admitted that despite prominent citation practices, user engagement remains low, according to the court document.\n\nMicrosoft and OpenAI contend that their use of news content serves as a transformative use and falls under fair use laws. In September, the US Department of Justice filed a brief supporting OpenAI and Microsoft, emphasizing scientific progress, economic growth, and national security. The plaintiffs have requested a summary judgment in their favor, with a ruling expected in 2027.",
  "summary": "Concerns remain that AI is reducing traffic to news sites despite OpenAI signing content deals with global news publishers since ChatGPT launched in 2022.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Techmeme",
        "title": "NYT court filing: ChatGPT's head wrote that publishers face an \"existential threat\" and a Microsoft executive called AI training \"an astonishing theft\" (Financial Times)",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/nyt-court-filing-chatgpts-head-wrote-that-publishers-face-an",
        "published": "2026-09-17T19:35:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "TechCrunch",
        "title": "Microsoft exec called AI scraping ‘the largest theft of labor in human history,’ new unredacted filings reveal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/microsoft-exec-called-ai-scraping-the-largest-theft-of-labor-in-human",
        "published": "2026-09-17T19:46:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Futurism",
        "title": "Microsoft Director Privately Admitted AI Was the “Largest Theft of Labor in Human History,” Unsealed Court Documents Show",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/microsoft-director-privately-admitted-ai-was-the-largest-theft-of",
        "published": "2026-09-17T21:46:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "NYT alleges Microsoft, OpenAI knew using news content was theft",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/nyt-alleges-microsoft-openai-knew-using-news-content-was-theft",
        "published": "2026-09-17T23:00:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "NYT alleges Microsoft, OpenAI knew using news content was theft",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/nyt-alleges-microsoft-openai-knew-using-news-content-was-theft-8131753",
        "published": "2026-09-17T23:05:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "NYT alleges Microsoft, OpenAI knowingly used news articles in ‘largest labour theft in human history’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/nyt-alleges-microsoft-openai-knowingly-used-news-articles-in-largest",
        "published": "2026-09-18T01:08:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "NYT alleges Microsoft, OpenAI knew using news content was theft",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/nyt-alleges-microsoft-openai-knew-using-news-content-was-theft",
        "published": "2026-09-18T01:19:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}