Prominent authors, including John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, and George R.R. Martin, have joined a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging "systematic theft on a mass scale" and copyright infringement. The suit, organized by the Authors Guild, claims that OpenAI's ChatGPT program uses copyrighted works without permission, undermining the sanctity of authors' creative works and harming the literary culture. The authors argue that the program, which relies on "systematic theft on a mass scale," is a massive commercial enterprise that generates unauthorized and infringing content. The lawsuit seeks to stop OpenAI's use of copyrighted works and calls for damages up to $150,000 per infringed work.

The lawsuit specifically cites examples of ChatGPT generating content that infringes on the plaintiffs' copyrights. For instance, the program allegedly generated an unauthorized outline for a prequel to George R.R. Martin's "A Game of Thrones," titled "A Dawn of Direwolves," which used the same characters as Martin's existing books. The authors claim that OpenAI's large language models, which ChatGPT is based on, ingest and are “trained” on their copyrighted works, allowing the program to generate derivative and unauthorized content.

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has faced previous legal challenges regarding the use of copyrighted material. This latest lawsuit follows a wave of legal action by authors concerned about AI programs using their works without permission. It also highlights the growing fears surrounding the encroachment of artificial intelligence on creative industries. OpenAI has previously asked courts to dismiss similar lawsuits, arguing that copyright claims fail to consider the limitations and exceptions, including fair use, that allow room for AI innovations.

The objection to AI by authors has also had an impact on Amazon, the largest book retailer in the US. Amazon has changed its policies on e-books in response to author concerns. The company now requires writers who want to publish through its Kindle Direct Program to notify Amazon in advance if their work includes AI-generated material. Additionally, Amazon has limited authors to publishing a maximum of three new self-published books per day on Kindle Direct, aiming to restrict the proliferation of AI-generated texts.

OpenAI's ChatGPT has gained popularity for its ability to answer questions and generate text that mimics human responses. However, the growing use of AI in the creative industry has raised ethical and legal concerns. The lawsuit filed by the Authors Guild seeks to protect authors' rights and control over how their works are used by generative AI. The authors argue that without proper authorization and compensation, the success and profitability of OpenAI are built on mass copyright infringement, which undermines the livelihoods of creators.

OpenAI has not yet responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit. The outcome of this legal battle will have significant implications for the future of copyright law and the use of AI in creative industries. As AI technology continues to advance, questions surrounding copyright and fair use in relation to AI-generated content remain unresolved. Legal experts are divided on the matter, with some arguing that if AI programs create substantially different works from copyrighted material, it constitutes fair use, while others believe that the copying of copyrighted works into AI databases is an infringement in itself. The lawsuit filed by the authors represents an important moment in establishing boundaries and protecting the rights of creators in the face of advancing AI technology.