Authors sue Meta, Microsoft, Bloomberg in latest AI copyright clash

Nov 20, 2023 ·

Authors are suing Microsoft and Bloomberg for copyright infringement in a case that is the latest clash over artificial intelligence (AI). The lawsuit, filed on October 18, 2023, accuses the two companies of using AI technology to copy portions of books written by authors without their permission.

The lawsuit claims that Microsoft and Bloomberg are using AI-powered systems to create significant chunks of text from copyrighted works without the authors’ permission or knowledge. The suit says that the two businesses have been infringing copyrights since 2019 and that the authors are seeking damages and an injunction to stop the behavior.

The authors allege that Microsoft and Bloomberg used AI to copy portions of their books, which include works on business, history, science, and literature. The authors say that the companies have copied large parts of their books without paying the authors for their work.

The lawsuit also claims that Microsoft and Bloomberg did not limit their copying to just small portions of the books but instead copied entire chapters. This copying includes the use of AI to make edits to the text and to add new information to the works.

The lawsuit is one of the first cases to challenge the use of AI to copy copyrighted works. There have been similar cases against other companies in the past, including Google, Facebook, and Amazon. However, this lawsuit is notable as it is the first time that authors have sought to bring a legal challenge against a major tech company specifically for using AI to copy copyrighted works.

As the world moves forward into an era of increased automation, more and more companies will be looking to leverage AI technology for creative purposes. It remains to be seen whether this case will set a precedent for how such technologies should be regulated, but it certainly indicates that authors will be looking to protect their works with increasing scrutiny.