Inside Microsoft and OpenAI, Worry About Damaging the Publishing Industry

The New York Times reports that Microsoft and OpenAI are confronting internal concern about the potential for artificial intelligence products to damage the publishing industry. The concern highlights a growing tension between companies building generative AI systems and news organizations whose reporting and other work can be affected by those tools.

Microsoft is a major technology company and a significant partner of OpenAI, the developer behind ChatGPT and other generative AI products. These systems can generate text, summarize information and answer questions, creating new ways for people to access information while raising questions about how original reporting is used, credited and supported.

The issue matters because publishers depend on audiences, subscriptions, advertising and licensing arrangements to fund journalism. AI companies and media organizations are increasingly navigating questions around intellectual property, training data, attribution and the economic consequences of AI-generated answers. The Times’ report indicates those questions are also being discussed within Microsoft and OpenAI as the companies continue to develop and deploy AI products.