The forthcoming authorized grievance can be considered one of the greatest strikes made by publishers in opposition to AI corporations, a few of whom have efficiently satisfied news media corporations to not sue by providing profitable offers to license content material to coach their fashions. Simply in the final yr, OpenAI has inked licensing offers with the Monetary Occasions, Condé Nast, Dotdash Meredith, News Corp, The Atlantic, Vox Media, and Hearst, whereas Perplexity and Meta have every agreed to offers with a small variety of news publishers.
Broader considerations round AI and content material use have additionally reinvigorated the News Media Alliance, the renamed Newspaper Affiliation of America, which hasn’t at all times been generally known as a very aggressive or public advocate for the members it represents. Over the final a number of years, the affiliation has grown more and more seen, because it has turn into considered one of the major means for media organizations to push again in opposition to tech corporations whose AI merchandise siphon visitors, consideration, and probably advert {dollars} away from publishers.
Nonetheless, whereas uncertainty round AI has renewed NMA’s function and introduced many publishers collectively, it has additionally uncovered some uncomfortable tensions between them.
Throughout Wednesday’s name, Mike Reed, the CEO and chairman of newspaper writer Gannett, sharply criticized Axios for its partnership with OpenAI in native markets. Members of the NMA have been discussing how the group would announce the forthcoming grievance, suggesting that the unique be given to The New York Occasions, to The Wall Avenue Journal if the Occasions turned the unique down, and then to Axios, if each papers handed on the story. Based on three contributors on the name, Reed protested giving the scoop to Axios, pointing to its latest partnership with OpenAI and accusing them of “stealing” content material in native markets.
In an e mail to Semafor, Gannett spokesperson Lark-Marie Anton stated that Reed’s feedback had been taken out of context.
“My recollection is that Mike Reed referenced Axios in the context of a narrative that’s being pitched,” Anton stated. “Your supply is providing you with misinformation and it’s irresponsible, fairly frankly.”
NMA President Danielle Coffey advised Semafor in an e mail that she didn’t recall this a part of the dialog as Semafor described it. Axios didn’t reply to a request for remark.