New York Times to let Amazon use its stories to train AI models
The
New York Times
for the first time has agreed to license its editorial content to
Amazon
which the tech major can use to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Amazon products, like the
Alexa
smart speakers, could use the summaries and short excerpts of NYT stories and cooking recipes, while and the company's
AI models
, could now learn from them.
The deal comes even as NYT continues its legal battle with
OpenAI
and
Microsoft
after suing them in 2023 for copyright infringement. The renowned news publication is seeking billions of dollars in damages from the tech giants for allegedly using millions of its articles to build the AI models underpinning OpenAI's ChatGPT.
"The deal is consistent with our long-held principle that high-quality journalism is worth paying for,' NYT chief executive officer (CEO)
Meredith Kopit Levien
wrote in an internal memo Thursday. 'It aligns with our deliberate approach to ensuring that our work is valued appropriately, whether through commercial deals or through the enforcement of our intellectual property rights.'
Media companies are increasingly concerned that AI models are using their content without proper authorisation or compensation. These AI models can quickly generate text, images, and code that resemble human work.
Several media organisations, including News Corp, Axel Springer, and the Financial Times, have entered into licensing agreements with OpenAI. These deals have provided publishers with millions of dollars. However, some news executives consider these agreements temporary, awaiting the establishment of a more permanent legal structure.
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OpenAI faces copyright challenges because its models rely on vast amounts of data collected from the internet. In response to a lawsuit filed by The New York Times, OpenAI stated the suit was 'without merit' and that the newspaper was not 'telling the full story'.
Amazon is also developing AI products, including its Alexa Plus voice assistant. The company has invested significantly in Anthropic, a startup whose Claude models compete with OpenAI. While Amazon's AI models currently lag behind OpenAI's in technical capabilities, the company is focused on reducing costs.
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