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Famous Authors Sue Microsoft Over AI Training Using Their Books

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A coalition of authors has accused Microsoft of utilizing nearly 200,000 pirated copies to develop an artificial intelligence model. This accusation adds to the ongoing legal struggles surrounding copyright issues between creative professionals and tech companies.

Kai Bird, Jia Tolentino, Daniel Okrent, and others argue that Microsoft intends to use a well-known digital version of their book to train Megatron AI for generating responses to user queries. Their lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York on Tuesday, is among several crucial cases initiated by authors, news outlets, and other copyright holders against tech firms regarding alleged misuse in AI training.

The authors are seeking a court order to prohibit statutory damages of up to $150,000 for each work that Microsoft is accused of misusing.

Generative AI products like Megatron can produce text, music, images, and videos based on user input. To develop these models, software engineers gather expansive databases of media and train AI to produce similar outputs.

The authors claim that Microsoft has utilized a trove of nearly 200,000 pirated books for training Megatron, which generates text responses to prompts. The complaint states that Microsoft employed these pirated datasets to “build not only computer models from the works of numerous creators and authors but also to produce a variety of representations replicating the syntax, sound, and themes of the copyrighted works.”

A Microsoft representative has yet to respond to inquiries about the lawsuit, while the authors’ attorney declined to comment.

This lawsuit against Microsoft was filed just after a federal judge in California ruled that the use of copyrighted material for AI training could be considered fair use, but acknowledged that they might still be liable for the utilization of pirated book versions. This marked the first US legal decision addressing the legality of using copyrighted materials without authorization for AI training. On the same day the complaint against Microsoft was filed, a California judge ruled in favor of Meta in a similar copyright dispute, attributing the decision more to the plaintiff’s weak argument than to the strength of the tech company’s defense.

The conflict over copyright and AI emerged soon after the launch of ChatGPT, encompassing various forms of media. The New York Times has taken legal action against OpenAI for copyright infringement related to article archives. Similarly, Dow Jones, the parent company of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, has filed a lawsuit against the perplexed AI. Major record labels are pursuing legal action against companies producing AI music generators. Getty Images has also sued Stability AI concerning a startup’s text-to-image product. Just last week, Disney and NBC Universal initiated legal proceedings against Midjourney, a company operating popular AI image generators that are believed to misuse iconic film and television characters.

Tech companies argue that being compelled to use copyrighted materials fairly to create new, transformative content and to compensate copyright holders could hinder the burgeoning AI industry. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stated that the development of ChatGPT was “impossible” without incorporating copyrighted works.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Farmers Sue Over Deleted Climate Data, Prompting Government Reinstatement

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According to court documents submitted on Monday in a deletion lawsuit, the Agriculture Department plans to reinstate climate change information that was removed from its website when President Trump took office.

The omitted information encompassed pages detailing federal funding and loans, forest conservation, and rural clean energy initiatives. This also included sections from the U.S. Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Services, featuring climate risk viewers, including comprehensive maps that illustrate how climate change impacts national forests and grasslands.

The February lawsuit indicated that farmers’ access to pivotal information was hindered, affecting their ability to make timely decisions amid business risks tied to climate change, such as heat waves, droughts, floods, and wildfires.

The lawsuit was filed by the Organic Farming Association in Northeast New York alongside two environmental organizations, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Working Group.

The plaintiffs sought a court mandate requiring the department to restore the deleted pages. On Monday, the government affirmed that this restoration would be compulsory.

Jay Clayton, a U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, informed Judge Margaret M. Garnett that he represents the agricultural division in this suit and has commenced the process of restoring the pages and interactive tools highlighted in the complaint. He indicated that the department “anticipates completing the restoration process significantly in about two weeks.”

Clayton requested a postponement of the hearing set for May 21, suggesting a report on the restoration progress be submitted in three weeks, and mentioned he is working on determining “the appropriate next steps in this lawsuit.”

“The USDA is pleased to recognize that the unlawful removal of climate change-related information is detrimental to farmers and communities nationwide,” stated Jeffrey Stein, assistant attorney for Earthjustice, an environmental law nonprofit that represents the plaintiffs, alongside the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.

Source: www.nytimes.com

British parents sue TikTok over suspicions of child’s death related to data claims

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Four British parents who are suing Tiktok for the alleged unlawful deaths of their children express concerns about the suspected deletion of their child’s data from social media platforms.

These parents have filed a lawsuit in the US claiming that four children died in 2022 after participating in the “Blackout Challenge,” a viral trend that emerged on social media in 2021.

A week after the lawsuit was filed, Tiktok executives mentioned that certain data had been deleted due to legal requirements. UK GDPR regulations mandate that platforms do not retain excessive personal data.

The parents were surprised by how quickly their child’s data was removed.

Isaac and Lisa Kennevan. Lisa expressed doubts on Tiktok’s claim of removing her son’s data.

“My initial reaction was that it’s a complete lie,” said Lisa Kennevan, whose son Isaac passed away at 13.

Liam Walsh remains skeptical about Tiktok deleting data on her daughter Maia, who passed away at 14, as the investigation is ongoing. He has issued a statement.

Ellen Room is advocating in Congress for the introduction of “Jules’ Law” in memory of her 12-year-old son Julian.

“If you have a physical diary in [your children’s] bedroom, I’m sure you’d read it to understand. Nowadays, they’ve moved online, and social media serves as a diary for kids. So why not examine their online diaries for potential answers?” she remarked.

Archie Battersbee and her mother, Hollie Dance. Dance has struggled to obtain access to Archie’s data despite him being under 13 when he passed away. Photo: Distribution materials

Hollie Dance should have automatic rights to the data, as her son Archie Battersbee was 12 years old, but she faces challenges in accessing it. “There are still three [of his] active accounts. I can see them myself,” she noted.

Tiktok has stated that searches related to dangerous challenges have been blocked since 2020. The platform aims to remove harmful content preemptively and direct users to safety resources.

Dance mentioned that she has screenshots of dangerous challenges that were easily accessible.

The parents expressed their wish to restrict their children’s access to social media and were unaware of the limited rights they have to their children’s data.

“Essentially, we’re handing the kids loaded guns,” Kennevan remarked. “A child’s brain isn’t fully developed until around 25. The amount of exposure to content isn’t healthy. They’ve witnessed harmful content, such as porn, at ages 10 and 11. They don’t need social media.”

Isaac Kennevan passed away at 13.

This year, the Online Safety Act was enforced, obliging platforms to take action against illegal or harmful content. Walsh expressed skepticism towards Ofcom.

Dance suggested that the organization should screen all videos before they are uploaded to the platform.

Walsh revealed that a US court exposed a video of her child, leading to a damaging impact on her mental state. She intends to press manslaughter charges against the company in UK courts.

Room explained that the family resorted to a US lawsuit after being unable to file a case in the UK due to legal constraints.

Ellen Room and her son Julian; Ellen highlighted how social media is akin to a child’s diary. Photo: Distribution materials

She emphasized on making a difference for other families and parents. “It’s challenging and emotionally draining, but we’re going to make an impact here,” she mentioned.

In the UK, youth suicide charity papyrus Contact 0800 068 4141 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org. Samaritan Contact Freephone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, National suicide prevention lifeline 988 or chatting for support. You can also text your 741741 home to connect with a text line counselor in crisis. Crisis Support Services in Australia Lifeline 13 1114. Other international helplines can be found at befriends.org

Source: www.theguardian.com

22 states sue Trump administration for cutting funding to research projects

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A lawsuit was filed by 22 state attorney generals on Monday. They opposed the Trump administration’s decision to cut research funding by restricting how universities and research institutions are reimbursed for “indirect costs.”

The lawsuit names both the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services as Defendants, stating that the impact of the changes in indirect rates announced on Friday would be “immediate and catastrophic.”

NIH revealed on Friday that it will cap indirect funding for research projects at 15% and significantly decrease the federal government’s funding for research institutions for equipment, maintenance, utilities, support staff, and more. Previously, these rates were negotiated with the agencies. The new policy took effect on Monday for all new and existing NIH grants.

The lawsuit, filed on Monday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts and led by the attorney generals of Illinois and Michigan, alleges that the NIH violated the Administrative Procedure Act and disregarded the will of Congress, which aimed to prevent changes in indirect cost rates since 2018.

All Democratic state Attorneys General are part of this lawsuit.

The lawsuit demands a temporary restraining order and an injunction to prevent the NIH from implementing the new rules.

Scientists have warned that reducing indirect costs will negatively impact research efforts, hinder basic science research, and potentially impede disease research and new discoveries.

In response to the proposed changes, the University of California System stated that this will significantly reduce personnel and services, affecting education, training, patient care, basic research, and clinical trials.

Supporters of the NIH policy change argue that indirect costs are currently excessive and need to be controlled.

According to a Friday post by x, Katie Miller from the newly formed Government Efficiency Bureau, or Doge, stated: “This will reduce Harvard’s exorbitant costs by $150 million annually.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com