OpenAI, Microsoft face lawsuits over unauthorized use of authors' work in AI training 

OpenAI and Microsoft are confronting a new legal challenge as they are being sued over allegations of misusing nonfiction authors' work to train artificial intelligence models, including OpenAI's popular chatbot ChatGPT.

According to Reuters, Hollywood Reporter editor Julian Sancton, leading the proposed class action filed in Manhattan federal court, claims that OpenAI copied tens of thousands of nonfiction books without permission to instruct its large language models in responding to human text prompts.

This lawsuit is part of a series of legal actions brought by copyright owners, including notable authors like John Grisham and George R.R. Martin, against tech companies, with OpenAI and others refuting the allegations.

Sancton's complaint stands out as the first author lawsuit against OpenAI to also name Microsoft as a defendant. Microsoft, a significant investor in OpenAI, has integrated the startup's AI systems into its products.

The lawsuit has brought out the tension between the value of OpenAI's AI platform and the alleged unauthorised use of copyrighted works, as highlighted by Sancton's attorney, Justin Nelson, who stated, "While OpenAI and Microsoft refuse to pay nonfiction authors, their AI platform is worth a fortune. The basis of OpenAI is nothing less than the rampant theft of copyrighted works."

The lawsuit details that OpenAI used nonfiction books, including Sancton's "Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night," for training its GPT large language models. It also claims that Microsoft played a significant role in the training and development of these models, making the company liable for copyright infringement.

Amid the legal battle, Sancton seeks unspecified monetary damages and a court order to prevent further alleged infringement.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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