News Corp: The Times and Sun publisher pens ‘beautiful friendship’ deal with OpenAI worth £200m
The Times and The Sun publisher News Corp has inked a multi-year deal with artificial intelligence developer OpenAI, making it the latest publisher to allow the tech company to use its content.
Through the deal, the creator of ChatGPT has access to current and archived content from many of News Corp’s publications, which also include The Wall Street Journal and New York Post.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the deal could be worth more than $250m (£196m) over five years.
It means OpenAI now has permission to display News Corp content in response to user questions and to enhance its products.
Robert Thomson, chief executive of Murdoch-owned News Corp, described it as the start of a “beautiful friendship” between the two companies.
He said: “We believe an historic agreement will set new standards for veracity, for virtue and for value in the digital age.
“We are delighted to have found principled partners in Sam Altman and his trusty, talented team who understand the commercial and social significance of journalists and journalism.
“This landmark accord is not an end, but the beginning of a beautiful friendship in which we are jointly committed to creating and delivering insight and integrity instantaneously.”
News Corp is not the first publication to sign a deal with OpenAI. Last month, the Financial Times sealed a deal, allowing users of ChatGPT to access summaries, quotes and links to FT articles.
Several other publishers including Associated Press, Axel Springer and Reuters have also signed similar licensing deals.
“Our partnership with News Corp is a proud moment for journalism and technology,” said Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI.
“We greatly value News Corp’s history as a leader in reporting breaking news around the world, and are excited to enhance our users’ access to its high-quality reporting.
“Together, we are setting the foundation for a future where AI deeply respects, enhances, and upholds the standards of world-class journalism,” he added.
Developers train and enhance their AI tools by hoovering up vast amounts of data, often scraping content from providers across the internet.
In the UK, as the law stands, this constitutes copyright infringement, save for specific exceptions, such as text and data mining for non-commercial research purposes.
Last year the New York Times filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its parent company, Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement and is seeking billions of dollars in damages.
It has accused the tech companies of seeking to “free-ride” on its “massive investment in its journalism”, threatening its ability to deliver “trustworthy information, news analysis, and commentary”.