In Grafton, Massachusetts, two elderly friends named Nick, Nicholas Gage, 84, and Nicholas Basbanes, 81, discovered that ChatGPT might be using their work without permission. Gage, known for his memoir made into a movie, and Basbanes, a former journalist turned book author, decided to take legal action against the AI companies behind ChatGPT with the help of a son-in-law. They accuse OpenAI and Microsoft of using their copyrighted work without compensation.
Basbanes, who first experimented with AI chatbots, found them impressive but lacking accuracy and attribution. The friends filed a lawsuit seeking to represent writers whose work they claim was unlawfully used by OpenAI and Microsoft.
The lawsuit has been combined with a larger case seeking class-action status involving prominent authors like John Grisham and George R. R. Martin. These cases assert that OpenAI, aided by Microsoft’s resources, used vast amounts of human-written content to train AI without permission or payment to the original creators.
Microsoft’s AI division CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, defended their practices, claiming that using internet content falls under fair use. However, the legal battles continue, with various creators challenging AI companies over alleged misappropriation of their work.
While the cases are ongoing, some creators are seeking private agreements with technology firms for fair compensation, while others, like MediaNews Group, have resorted to legal actions to protect their work from unauthorized AI use.
Gage and Basbanes, despite the unlikelihood of being witnesses in the trial, felt compelled to stand up for their craft’s future. Both men have dedicated years to their writing careers, with Gage risking significant personal debt to uncover the truth about his mother’s death. They worry that the prevalence of AI-generated content could undermine traditional journalism and discourage budding writers from pursuing the profession.
