Microsoft exec described AI data scraping as 'theft,' filings show

VERA Brief

AI-generated. Grounded in the article and its cited sources.

Microsoft executives privately described AI data scraping as 'theft' in unsealed court filings. These discussions centered on the scraping of paywalled content, like that from The Times, and raised concerns about the impact on publishers.

Key facts

• Microsoft executives privately referred to AI data scraping as 'theft'.
• Unsealed court filings reveal internal discussions at Microsoft about AI data practices.
• The scraping of paywalled content, including from The Times, was a subject of concern.
• Internal warnings were issued regarding the potential detrimental effect of data scraping on publishers.
• Both Microsoft and OpenAI reportedly engaged in scraping content from The Times for dataset building.