According to media reports, OpenAI may soon face a fine of up to one billion dollars. Authors and publishers suing the company have uncovered internal messages and emails related to the deletion of datasets containing pirated books. The plaintiffs hope to obtain communications between OpenAI and its lawyers, believing these records could prove the company's intentional actions.
Image source note: The image is AI-generated, and the image licensing service is Midjourney
Under U.S. law, fines for each infringing work can be as high as 150,000 dollars. The New York court is currently considering whether OpenAI has waived attorney-client privilege due to its own statements. In addition, the plaintiffs have also accused evidence being intentionally destroyed. These accusations and potential fines have raised concerns, reminiscent of August this year when another AI company, Anthropic, reached a 1.5 billion dollar settlement over similar issues involving pirated books. This might also be one reason why both OpenAI and Anthropic have faced difficulties in obtaining insurance.
In this context, the future of OpenAI remains uncertain. As technology develops rapidly, legal challenges regarding data usage and copyright for AI companies will become more frequent. This lawsuit not only affects OpenAI's financial situation but also impacts the industry's compliance and future direction.
Key points:
📚 OpenAI may face a fine of up to one billion dollars for allegedly using pirated books for AI training.
⚖️ Plaintiffs hope to obtain communications between OpenAI and its lawyers to prove possible intentional actions by the company.
💰 In August this year, Anthropic reached a 1.5 billion dollar settlement over similar issues, affecting the insurance situation of AI companies.