OpenAI announced on Tuesday that it’s partnering with Condé Nast. This means that OpenAI’s tools, like ChatGPT and SearchGPT, will now show content from magazines like Vogue, The New Yorker, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, Architectural Digest, Vanity Fair, Wired, Bon Appétit, and others.
In a blog post, OpenAI said, ‘With our new SearchGPT prototype, we’re testing search features that make it easier and quicker to find information from trusted sources. We’re combining our chat models with web information to give you quick answers with clear, relevant sources.’
OpenAI mentioned that the SearchGPT prototype provides direct links to news stories and that they plan to add these features directly to ChatGPT in the future.
This is part of a growing trend where media outlets are partnering with AI companies like OpenAI to make content deals.
In July, Perplexity AI introduced a revenue-sharing model for publishers after facing over a month of plagiarism accusations. Media outlets like Fortune, Time, Entrepreneur, The Texas Tribune, Der Spiegel, and WordPress.com were the first to join the company’s ‘Publishers Program.’
OpenAI’s Content Deals and Legal Battles
In June, OpenAI and Time magazine announced a multi-year content deal. This deal allows OpenAI to access both current and archived articles from over 100 years of Time’s history. OpenAI can use this content in its ChatGPT chatbot to answer user questions and possibly train its AI models, according to a press release.
OpenAI announced a similar partnership in May with News Corp., giving it access to current and archived articles from The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, Barron’s, the New York Post, and other publications. In the same month, Reddit also announced a partnership with OpenAI, allowing the company to train its AI models using Reddit content.
Meanwhile, other news organizations are working hard to protect their businesses as AI-generated content becomes more common.
In June, the Center for Investigative Reporting, the oldest nonprofit newsroom in the U.S., sued OpenAI and its main backer, Microsoft, for alleged copyright infringement. This lawsuit followed similar actions from publications like The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the New York Daily News.
In December, The New York Times sued Microsoft and OpenAI, claiming their journalistic content was used in ChatGPT’s training data without permission. The Times is seeking ‘billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages’ for the ‘unlawful copying and use’ of their work, according to a filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. OpenAI disagreed with The Times’ claims.
The Chicago Tribune and seven other newspapers also filed a lawsuit in April.
Conclusion
OpenAI’s new partnerships with media companies like Condé Nast and Time aim to integrate their content into tools like ChatGPT. This reflects a trend where AI firms and media outlets collaborate. However, as AI-generated content becomes more common, media companies are also stepping up legal efforts to protect their rights.
