{
  "id": 8162648,
  "title": "Microsoft exec called AI scraping the “largest theft of labor in human history”",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/microsoft-exec-called-ai-scraping-the-largest-theft-of-labor-in-human-8162648",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-17T20:10:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ars Technica Policy",
    "slug": "ars-technica-policy",
    "url": "https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/microsoft-exec-called-ai-scraping-the-largest-theft-of-labor-in-human-history/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For years, Microsoft and OpenAI have been embroiled in a legal battle with news organizations over allegations that the AI firms engaged in copyright infringement by amassing vast amounts of news content to train their AI models. However, confidential details are now being revealed as previously sealed documents are being unsealed. These documents, which were filed by news plaintiffs such as The New York Times, provide a glimpse into the mindset of Microsoft and OpenAI regarding the controversy. One particularly striking revelation is that Microsoft's Director of Applied Science, Brent Hecht, repeatedly expressed his concerns about the \"astonishing theft of unprecedented proportions\" that news scraping posed for the industry. Hecht went as far as comparing it to \"the largest theft of labor in human history,\" a sentiment that starkly contradicts Microsoft and OpenAI's assertion that using news content to train AI falls under the umbrella of \"fair use.\"",
  "summary": "Microsoft, OpenAI emails reveal fear of AI “doom loop” killing news orgs.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 10,
    "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": "Ars Technica",
        "title": "Microsoft exec called AI scraping the “largest theft of labor in human history”",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/microsoft-exec-called-ai-scraping-the-largest-theft-of-labor-in-human-8171671",
        "published": "2026-09-17T20:10:41.000Z"
      },
      {
        "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"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "NYT says Microsoft, OpenAI knew using content was theft",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/nyt-says-microsoft-openai-knew-using-content-was-theft",
        "published": "2026-09-18T04:21:46.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}