The Seattle Times and Newsday have joined a growing list of media outlets suing OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement. The companies claim that OpenAI used their journalism as training data for its AI models without permission, and the AI often reproduces passages from their reports in response to user queries. This follows similar lawsuits by The New York Times, Ziff Davis, Merriam-Webster, and Encyclopedia Britannica against OpenAI.

The plaintiffs want any copies of their works held by OpenAI and Microsoft destroyed, along with training datasets and AI models that incorporate them. They also seek to prevent the companies from using their works in the future. The publishers argue that the chatbots reduce the need to visit their sites for reporting and answers, costing them valuable subscription revenue.

Seattle Times and Newsday have also named Microsoft as a defendant, as Copilot is built on OpenAI’s technology. This marks the second major case against the tech giants this year, following a similar suit by nearly 400 local newspapers. OpenAI and Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit highlights the ongoing debate over the use of copyrighted material in AI training and the impact of AI on traditional media businesses. As AI becomes more integrated into our daily lives, questions of ownership and copyright will only grow more complex.