Some of India's prominent news organizations are looking to participate in a lawsuit against OpenAI, the US firm responsible for ChatGPT, over alleged unauthorized use of their content.
The list of news organizations includes established publications like The Indian Express, The Hindu, The India Today group, NDTV owned by billionaire Gautam Adani, and others.
OpenAI refutes the claims, stating to the BBC that it uses "publicly available data" in compliance with "widely accepted legal precedents."
During a visit to Delhi, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman discussed India's initiative for a budget-friendly AI ecosystem with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, expressing India's potential to be an AI pioneer.
Altman addressed past remarks that were misinterpreted and emphasized India's significance as a market for OpenAI.
The lawsuit, initiated by Asia News International (ANI) in November, alleges copyright infringement by ChatGPT and seeks damages of 20m rupees.
The filed suit questions the boundaries of permissible data gathering and use for ChatGPT.
Numerous legal actions worldwide have been brought against OpenAI by publishers and artists for alleged unauthorized content usage.
A lawyer specializing in AI from Anand and Anand, Vibhav Mithal, posits that the lawsuit's outcome could shape the future operations of such AI models.
ANI, holding exclusive copyright over a vast content archive, maintains that OpenAI unlawfully utilized its material for ChatGPT's development.
In response, OpenAI contests the lawsuit’s jurisdiction in India, asserting that its operations and servers are not based in the country.
The involvement of Indian publishers and news associations in the case is pending court decisions, as OpenAI argues against their participation.
OpenAI claims to be engaging in productive discussions with global news entities to collaborate effectively.
Legal experts suggest that ongoing lawsuits against ChatGPT worldwide could shed light on unexplored aspects of chatbots, like data sourcing and adherence to local laws.