ChatGPT generates text that responds to questions by drawing from the newspaper’s original reports and writings. This has raised fears that users, when seeking information online, may be presented with AI-generated answers derived from The Times’ content. The irony is that its own content would potentially used to reduce readers’ incentive to visit the newspaper’s website. Such a scenario raises substantial questions about the Times’ readership and revenue.
The potential is that the content of a newspaper could be taken and developed into an alternate news source that competes against the original source.
These concerns come in the wake of reports indicating that The New York Times, unlike some other media organizations has opted not to engage in negotiations with tech companies regarding the use of its content in AI models. The exact connection between this decision and the potential legal action against OpenAI remains unconfirmed.
Nevertheless, Times’ executives have openly acknowledged the underlying problems. In June, CEO Meredith Kopit Levien stressed the need for tech firms to compensate the newspaper for the use of its extensive archives, emphasizing the importance of a fair exchange of value for both past and future content employed in AI model training.
