The U.S. Justice Department has filed a letter in support of OpenAI’s position in an ongoing copyright lawsuit brought by The New York Times, according to reports from WIRED and The New York Times. The government’s filing argues that OpenAI’s use of Times articles to train its AI models constitutes fair use under copyright law.
According to The New York Times, the Justice Department’s court filing contends that OpenAI legally used the newspaper’s articles to develop its artificial intelligence systems. The department further argued that American technological dominance in AI is a matter of national security, suggesting that restrictive copyright interpretations could hamper U.S. competitiveness in the field.
The New York Times had previously sued OpenAI over the use of its copyrighted content in training AI models. The Justice Department’s intervention represents a significant development in the case, as it places the weight of the federal government behind OpenAI’s fair use argument. WIRED reports that the government’s letter specifically supports OpenAI’s contention that training AI on intellectual property owned by others falls within fair use protections.