The biggest players in the U.S. media industry have been in confidential discussions with OpenAI regarding the price and terms of licensing content to the artificial intelligence company. The New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, claiming that its content was used without permission. The Times and other news organizations, including Gannett, News Corp, and IAC, have been discussing deals with OpenAI. The News/Media Alliance is also in talks with OpenAI. Microsoft, which is OpenAI’s biggest investor, has also had discussions. Companies like OpenAI and Microsoft are seeking licensing deals with news organizations to train A.I. systems for producing humanlike prose. The talks have been complicated by the rapid development of artificial intelligence applications in the marketplace. OpenAI stated that it respects the rights of content creators and believes they should benefit from A.I. technology. Additionally, news publishers are wary of selling their content too cheaply. Some news organizations have already struck deals with OpenAI. Axel Springer has signed a multiyear deal worth more than $10 million per year. On the other hand, Bloomberg and The Washington Post have not been in negotiations with OpenAI. Despite the tension, some publishing executives see the potential upsides of A.I. and the news industry as “increasingly co-dependent”.
