Get All Access for $5/mo

Authors Are Suing OpenAI Because ChatGPT Is Too 'Accurate' — Here's What That Means It's one of two suits filed on Wednesday — and experts believe there are more to come.

By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas

NurPhoto | Getty Images

Chatbots like ChatGPT have been celebrated for their ability to provide thorough answers to complex questions in recent months — but some are questioning where exactly the technology gets its information.

Now two authors who claim ChatGPT creator OpenAI used their copyrighted books to train its bot without their consent are suing the company, CNBC reported.

Related: ChatGPT: What Is It and How Does It Work? | Entrepreneur

Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World, and Mona Awad, author of Bunny and 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, allege that ChatGPT's "very accurate summaries" of their works result from the bot's unauthorized training on their books, which would violate copyright laws, per the complaint.

The lawsuit was filed with a San Francisco federal court and alleges that "much" of OpenAI's training data stems from copyrighted materials. "At no point did ChatGPT reproduce any of the copyright management information Plaintiffs included with their published works," the complaint read.

OpenAI won't reveal its specific data sources but acknowledges that ChatGPT's web crawling includes using archived books and Wikipedia, according to CNBC.

Related: How Can Marketers Use ChatGPT? Here Are the Top 11 Uses.

Many experts believe these lawsuits are just the start of the AI industry's legal battles, Rolling Stone reported. Another "wide-ranging" suit filed on Wednesday highlights AI's "existential" threat, per the outlet.

Amanda Breen

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior Features Writer

Amanda Breen is a senior features writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate of Barnard College and received an MFA in writing at Columbia University, where she was a news fellow for the School of the Arts.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Leadership

How to Close the Trust Gap Between You and Your Team — 5 Strategies for Leaders

Trust is tanking in your workplace. Here's how to fix it and become the boss your team needs to succeed.

Health & Wellness

Get a Year of Unlimited Yoga Class Downloads for Only $23 Through June 17

Regular exercise has been proven to increase energy and focus, both of which are valuable to entrepreneurs and well-known benefits of yoga.

Growing a Business

He Immigrated to the U.S. and Got a Job at McDonald's — Then His Aversion to Being 'Too Comfortable' Led to a Fast-Growing Company That's Hard to Miss

Voyo Popovic launched his moving and storage company in 2018 — and he's been innovating in the industry ever since.

Business News

'Passing By Wide Margins': Elon Musk Celebrates His 'Guaranteed Win' of the Highest Pay Package in U.S. Corporate History

Musk's Tesla pay package is almost 140 times higher than the annual pay of other high-performing CEOs.

Starting a Business

I Left the Corporate World to Start a Chicken Coop Business — Here Are 3 Valuable Lessons I Learned Along the Way

Board meetings were traded for barnyards as a thriving new venture hatched.

Business Culture

Why Remote Work Policies Are Good For the Environment

Remote work policies are crucial for ESG guidelines. Embracing remote work can positively impact your business and employees.