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The Trump administration has stepped into a copyright dispute involving OpenAI and The New York Times, siding with the AI company in a significant case. Filed in December 2023, the lawsuit claims that OpenAI illegally used articles from The New York Times to train its AI systems, seeking significant damages from OpenAI and its partner Microsoft.
In a recent filing, the Trump administration expressed support for OpenAI, contending that using copyrighted material to train AI models can be considered fair use. The administration’s attorneys argued that restricting such uses would contradict established copyright principles and could hinder scientific advancement, as large language models are already contributing to breakthroughs in various research fields.
The statement from US officials emphasized that constraining the development of AI models based on a misunderstanding of fair use would obstruct creative innovation and negatively impact American economic growth. They urged that this case could set a precedent for how AI firms interact with copyrighted materials, indicating potential repercussions for other media organizations struggling with similar issues.
This legal battle isn’t isolated; numerous media outlets have also voiced concerns over AI companies using their content without consent. The Center for Investigative Reporting, Chicago Tribune, and New York Daily News are among those that have initiated their lawsuits against AI technologies. Additionally, a notable ruling in 2025 determined Anthropic’s right to train its AI models on legally acquired books and resulted in a substantial settlement with authors, further highlighting ongoing disputes over copyright in the digital age.
Despite these tensions, several media organizations, including The Associated Press, have secured licensing agreements with OpenAI, while The New York Times has partnered with Amazon, allowing its content to be featured in generative AI applications.
The question of fair use in this context remains complex and case-specific, according to the attorneys. They cautioned against imposing broad copyright liabilities that could render AI training impractical without licensing agreements. Such a change could undermine the creative progress that the copyright system is designed to promote.
