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Game of Thrones author sues ChatGPT's OpenAI for copyright infringement

George R R Martin is one of several prominent authors named in the lawsuit.

George RR Martin, creator of Game of Thrones, with the shadow of a dragon behind him

Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

Published: Thursday, 21 September 2023 at 4:59 pm

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George R R Martin and several other prominent writers are suing OpenAI over claims the company used their works to train its ChatGPT model.

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A lawsuit put forward on behalf of the Game of Thrones wordsmith – as well as other authors including best-selling thriller writer John Grisham – alleges that their books were used without permission in a bid to make the tool smarter.

Jonathan Franzen, Jodi Picoult and George Saunders are among the other authors mentioned in the case, which has been brought by the Authors Guild in the federal court in Manhattan, New York, following similar action taken by comedian Sarah Silverman earlier in 2023.

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OpenAI is accused of having its software be reliant upon "systematic theft on a mass scale" in the filing.

Meanwhile, in July, writers including Margaret Atwood and Philip Pullman signed an open letter claiming that authors should receive payment by the company in exchange for it using their work.

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As quoted by BBC News, a spokesperson for OpenAI said: "We're having productive conversations with many creators around the world, including the Authors Guild, and have been working co-operatively to understand and discuss their concerns about AI.

"We're optimistic we will continue to find mutually beneficial ways to work together."

AI has been the source of much disruption in the creative industries in recent months, with questions around its future use in Hollywood currently a major point of contention in the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

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Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.

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