WASHINGTON: The New York Times sued ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Microsoft in a US court on Wednesday, alleging that the companies’ powerful AI models used millions of articles for training without permission.

Through their AI chatbots, the companies “seek to free-ride on The Times’ massive investment in its journalism by using it to build substitutive products without permission or payment,” the lawsuit said.

With the suit, The New York Times chose a more confrontational approach to the sudden rise of AI chatbots, in contrast to other media groups such as Germany’s Axel Springer or the Associated Press that have entered content deals with OpenAI.

The Times, one of the most respected news organizations in the United States, is seeking damages, as well as an order that the companies stop using its content — and destroy data already harvested. While no sum is specifically requested, the Times alleges that the infringement could have cost “billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages.”