Alright, folks, we’ve got some serious legal drama on our hands. Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon and a group of other writers are not taking OpenAI’s shenanigans lightly. They’ve filed a proposed class action, accusing OpenAI of copyright infringement. According to these writers, OpenAI went on a rampage across the internet, grabbing all kinds of content to train its ChatGPT models. And guess what? Some of that content just happened to be copyrighted material. Oops!
These writers claim that OpenAI cast out a wide net to capture the most comprehensive set of content available. In doing so, they allege that OpenAI “necessarily” captured, downloaded, and copied all kinds of copyrighted works, from written works to plays and articles. But that’s not all, my friends. Apparently, OpenAI also got its hands on these two mysterious internet-based book collections, quietly referred to as “Books1” and “Books2.” Sneaky, sneaky!
But wait, it gets even juicier. The writers’ lawyers tossed another bombshell into the mix. They claim that when asked to write in the style of Michael Chabon’s famous book, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” ChatGPT actually generated a paragraph imitating Chabon’s unique writing style. It included references to characters dealing with “the weight of the world at war.” Talk about creepy, I mean, come on!
Now, OpenAI is not new to the copyright infringement game. They’re already facing a couple of lawsuits in San Francisco from other writers and even comedian Sarah Silverman. But OpenAI’s got its own defense. They’re claiming that their use of the text complies with the US doctrine of “fair use.” Basically, they’re saying their AI’s remix of the original works serves a different purpose and audience. Hmm, sounds like they’re trying to weasel their way out of some legal trouble, if you ask me.
But hey, this fight is just getting started. OpenAI hasn’t even responded to Chabon and the gang’s complaint yet. We’ll have to wait and see how this all plays out. This AI copyright infringement saga seems to be far from over, my friends. Stay tuned for more updates on this legal showdown.
