Seattle Times and Newsday are the latest publications to sue OpenAI and Microsoft

Billy Odell Tucker-Robinson Founder & Host — Banking With Billy Network • Intelligence Network • Data Science • AI Research • World News
Published: 2026-09-05T22:55:14.449Z • Permanent link

Seattle Times and Newsday are the latest publications to join the growing list of media outlets suing OpenAI and Microsoft over the alleged misuse of their AI technology. The lawsuits, filed in the United States, come on the heels of similar actions taken by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others. The plaintiffs claim that OpenAI's chatbot, LLaMA, was used to generate articles that were then published by the defendant publications without their consent. The lawsuits seek damages and an injunction to prevent further unauthorized use of the technology.

At the heart of the dispute are the terms of a content partnership between OpenAI and Microsoft, which provided access to the company's AI technology in exchange for a share of the revenue generated by the publications. The partnership was announced in 2022, and it quickly gained attention from the media and tech communities. However, some publications claimed that they were not adequately informed about the terms of the partnership, and that they were not given the opportunity to opt out of the agreement. OpenAI and Microsoft have denied any wrongdoing, but the lawsuits have raised questions about the transparency and accountability of the technology.

Data from the partnership suggests that the revenue generated by the publications was not as significant as initially claimed. According to reports, the publications generated only a small fraction of the revenue that OpenAI had anticipated, and the company was forced to re-evaluate its business model. The lawsuit filings have also revealed that the publications were not provided with access to the source code of the LLaMA chatbot, which has raised concerns about the potential for future misuse.

The lawsuit has significant implications for the Biotech & Medical domain, where AI technology is increasingly being used to analyze large datasets and identify new insights. The dispute has raised questions about the ownership and control of AI-generated content, and the potential for future disputes over the use of AI technology in research and development. The affected companies, including those in the research community and the pharmaceutical industry, are likely to be concerned about the potential impact on their work and their ability to access and utilize AI-generated data.

The lawsuit has also highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in the development and deployment of AI technology. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into various industries, there is a growing need for clear guidelines and regulations to ensure that the technology is being used responsibly and ethically. The lawsuit has sparked a wider debate about the potential risks and benefits of AI technology, and the need for greater oversight and regulation to prevent potential abuses.

The lawsuit is part of a larger pattern of disputes between tech giants and media outlets over the use of AI technology. In recent years, there have been several high-profile disputes between companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon, and media outlets over issues such as data ownership and control. These disputes have highlighted the need for greater clarity and transparency in the development and deployment of AI technology, and the potential risks and benefits of this technology.