New York Times Spent $20M on OpenAI Lawsuit, Publisher Says

The New York Times has invested more than $20 million in its copyright lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, a fight that publisher A.G. Sulzberger frames as necessary to protect journalism across the industry.

In an interview with WIRED, Sulzberger defended the substantial legal expenditure nearly three years after the Times filed suit alleging that the AI companies illegally used Times journalism to train their models. The case remains in discovery, with motions still being filed, but Sulzberger views the cost as justified given what he sees as existential threats to independent reporting.

Why it matters

The Times lawsuit represents the most visible legal challenge to AI companies' training practices, with implications extending far beyond one newsroom. As AI systems increasingly mediate how people find and consume information, the outcome could determine whether publishers retain control over their content and revenue streams—or whether AI companies can freely use copyrighted material to build products that compete with the original sources.

AI as reporting tool, not replacement

Despite the legal battle, Sulzberger emphasized that the Times uses AI internally as a reporting tool rather than for writing or editing. He criticized news organizations that assigned AI to write and publish articles directly, calling those decisions "incredibly foolish" after some outlets published AI-generated content containing fabrications and invented bylines.

"Humans are responsible for everything we produce, period," Sulzberger said. "There's something about AI that has tricked people into forgetting that it is a tool."

The Times approach focuses on using AI more extensively in reporting workflows than in content creation, with human journalists maintaining full responsibility for accuracy and editorial decisions.

Defending journalism under pressure

Sulzberger also addressed recent Justice Department subpoenas targeting Times journalists who reported on a Qatar-gifted jet being used as Air Force One. He called the subpoenas, which were served directly at reporters' homes and sought phone records from journalists and their family members, "a gross overreach" and part of what he characterized as the most significant effort to target the press from a White House in over a century.

The publisher noted that the Times has reached 13 million subscribers and operates one of the most stable newsrooms in the industry, yet he believes journalism faces multiple existential challenges—from government pressure on press freedoms to AI companies whose products depend on the reporting they risk undermining.

Sulzberger urged media executives to enforce their rights even when outcomes are uncertain, warning that "your rights only hold if you seek to enforce them." He acknowledged that some news organizations have allowed administration pressure to affect coverage, with reporters at other outlets telling Times colleagues they now wait for the Times to break sensitive stories before following them.

The details were first reported by WIRED in an interview conducted in late July at the publication's offices.