● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsMedium impact2 neutral
Trump Administration Supports OpenAI in NYT Copyright Lawsuit, Citing Fair Use for AI Training
Key points
- Trump administration filed a statement supporting OpenAI in NYT copyright lawsuit.
- The statement argues training AI on copyrighted text is fair use.
- Restricting AI training would hinder scientific progress and economic prosperity.
- The New York Times lawsuit seeks billions in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft.
- The brief emphasizes the US interest in leading the AI industry globally.
Government Intervention in AI Copyright Case
The Trump administration has formally intervened in the copyright lawsuit filed by The New York Times against OpenAI. This intervention takes the form of a statement of interest, a 20-page brief filed in support of OpenAI's position regarding the use of copyrighted material for training large language models (LLMs).
Fair Use Argument for AI Training
The core of the administration's argument is that training AI models on copyrighted text falls under the doctrine of fair use. US attorneys stated that The New York Times' attempt to narrow fair-use doctrine to exclude LLM training would be inconsistent with basic copyright law principles and would severely impede 'the Progress of Science and useful Arts.'
The brief highlights that LLMs are already contributing to major breakthroughs across various research fields.
Implications for American AI Leadership
The administration's filing emphasizes the United States' strong interest in developing a robust and competitive artificial intelligence industry to maintain global leadership. It argues that constraining LLM development based on a misunderstanding of fair use would hinder American AI leadership and economic progress, referencing an executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
Background of the Lawsuit
The New York Times filed its landmark lawsuit in December 2023, alleging that OpenAI unlawfully trained its AI systems on articles from the publication. The lawsuit seeks to recover 'billions of dollars' in damages from both Microsoft and OpenAI. This legal challenge is part of a broader debate concerning whether AI companies can use copyrighted material without permission to train their models.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
The Trump administration filed a 20-page brief in support of OpenAI's unlicensed use of copyrighted material to train its large language models (LLMs) in a lawsuit brought by The New York Times. The brief argues that constraining LLM development based on a misunderstanding of fair use would hinder American AI leadership and economic progress. This intervention highlights the ongoing legal debate regarding fair use in AI training and its potential impact on the development of the AI industry.
The Trump administration has filed a statement of interest in The New York Times' copyright lawsuit against OpenAI, arguing that training AI models on copyrighted text constitutes fair use. This intervention supports OpenAI's defense and suggests that restricting AI development based on a narrow interpretation of fair use would hinder scientific progress and economic prosperity.